Medical Supplies and Equipment Department

1. Functions and Duties (Medical Supplies and Equipment Department)

1.1 Functions of the Department

The Medical Supplies and Equipment Department advises and assists the hospital's Board of Directors in managing and organizing the procurement, supply and distribution, management, maintenance, repair and disposal of medical supplies, chemicals and medical equipment, ensuring that resources are adequate, timely and effective for the hospital's medical examination and treatment, training and scientific research.

1.2 Main Duties as Prescribed

Advising on annual and needs-based procurement plans for medical supplies, chemicals and medical equipment. 

Organizing contractor selection and procurement in accordance with the law. 

Managing the receipt, distribution, transfer and usage tracking of medical supplies and equipment throughout the hospital. 

Managing records and equipment histories, conducting inventories, and assessing the condition and value of medical equipment assets. 

Organizing the maintenance, servicing, repair, inspection, testing and calibration of medical equipment in accordance with regulations. 

Coordinating with departments to provide guidance on the use of medical equipment, ensure its effective use and guarantee its safety. 

Carrying out the disposal, transfer and handling of assets in accordance with regulations. 

Monitoring, compiling and reporting on the management and use of medical supplies and equipment; proposing solutions to improve management efficiency. 

Performing other tasks assigned by the hospital's Board of Directors. 

1.3 Role in the Management, Administration and Support of Hospital Activities

The Medical Supplies and Equipment Department serves as the focal point for ensuring the supply of medical supplies, chemicals and medical equipment for the hospital's professional activities. The department plays an important role in maintaining continuous medical examination and treatment, improving the quality of healthcare services, using public assets effectively, ensuring safety in equipment operation, and complying with the law on bidding, public asset management and medical equipment. It also advises the Board of Directors on investment, facility development, equipment modernization and optimizing the use of the hospital's resources.

2. History

• Year of establishment: 2004
• Formation and development: 

The Medical Supplies and Equipment Department was established on 23 December 2004, alongside the building and development of Tra Vinh General Hospital. From its early days, when facilities and human resources were still limited, the department gradually strengthened its organization, refined its management procedures and continuously improved its professional capacity to meet the hospital's development needs.

Over more than 20 years of building and development, the Medical Supplies and Equipment Department has affirmed its role as a key advisory unit in the management, procurement and supply of medical supplies, chemicals and medical equipment. Along with the hospital's growth, the department has gradually modernized its management, applied information technology, improved the efficiency of asset management, and ensured an adequate and timely supply of medical supplies, chemicals and equipment, contributing effectively to medical examination, treatment and healthcare for the people.

Today, the Medical Supplies and Equipment Department continues to uphold its tradition of solidarity, responsibility and innovation, constantly improving the quality of its work and contributing to the development of Tra Vinh General Hospital into an increasingly modern hospital that meets the healthcare needs of the people in the new context.

3. Development Orientation

• Improving the quality of management and administration: Continuing to improve the management of medical supplies, chemicals and medical equipment in a scientific, transparent and effective manner; strengthening the capacity to advise the Board of Directors on investment, procurement and asset management. 
• Promoting digital transformation: Increasing the use of software for managing medical supplies and equipment, and digitizing records, equipment histories, and maintenance, servicing and inspection data to improve management efficiency and information retrieval. 
• Standardizing professional procedures: Reviewing, updating and refining business procedures for the procurement, receipt, distribution, maintenance, repair, inspection, inventory and disposal of medical equipment in accordance with current regulations and quality management standards. 
• Human resource development: Improving the professional expertise and management skills of staff through training, capacity building and updates on legal regulations on bidding, public asset management and medical equipment; building a team that is highly skilled, responsible and professional. 
• Information technology application: Strengthening data connectivity with the Hospital Information System (HIS) and related software; applying QR codes and barcodes to asset management and to tracking the usage, maintenance and repair history of medical equipment. 
• Quality improvement: Carrying out quality improvement activities in line with the Hospital Quality Criteria; improving the efficient use of medical supplies and equipment, reducing waste, saving costs, and ensuring an adequate, timely and safe supply for medical examination and treatment. 
• Strengthening maintenance and risk management: Developing periodic maintenance and servicing plans, increasing the proportion of equipment operating reliably and limiting unexpected breakdowns, helping to ensure the safety of patients and healthcare staff. 
• Development orientation for the coming period: Building the Medical Supplies and Equipment Department in a professional and modern direction, with comprehensive use of digital technology in management; meeting the hospital's development requirements and the digital transformation trend of the healthcare sector, contributing to improving the quality of medical examination and treatment and patient satisfaction.