«It is necessary to radically reconsider the system of procurement of medical equipment - this is also a big problem. Because this area is highly corruptible. Regions systematically inflate estimates and prices for equipment. Huge amounts of money are spent on its maintenance. Therefore, I instruct the government to switch to centralized procurement of medical equipment on the basis of SK-Pharmaceuticals LLP.»
K.K.Tokaуev
In accordance with the instructions of the President, the vector was set for the transition to a centralized purchase of medical equipment based on The Unified distributor SK-Pharmaceuticals LLP.
Today, The Unified distributor is the procurement operator and provides an electronic platform that ensures transparency, eliminating paper-based procedures and the “human factor.”
The function of The Unified distributor, as a procurement operator, is, in addition to conducting the procurement procedure, to review customer applications for the completeness of the submitted package of documents and the compliance of the expert opinion issued by the state expert organization with the characteristics of medical equipment declared for purchase.
Centralized procurement of medical equipment
As part of centralized procurement, modern expensive equipment is purchased, the cost of which starts from 20 million tenge. In modern realities, innovative high-tech medical equipment is the key to effective modern medicine.
Over the entire period of The Unified distributor, 702 units of medical equipment were centrally purchased for the amount of 79.8 billion tenge. In 2023 alone, auctions were held for the purchase of 525 units of medical equipment worth almost 60 billion tenge.
It is worth noting that centralization of procurement and consolidation of demand volumes from all regions allows for budget savings. As a result, according to the results of procurement for the entire period, savings amounted to 7.4 billion tenge.
In addition to ensuring transparency and saving budget funds, centralized procurement ensures the unification of technical specifications for procurement, real competition between players in procurement and negotiations on price reductions with the winners.
Cooperation with global vendors
The Unified distributor carries out systematic work with global vendors on the localization and contract production of medical equipment in Kazakhstan using the mechanisms of long-term contracts, offtake contracts, leasing mechanisms and “life cycle” contracts.
In order to simplify the entry of global players into the domestic market, work has been carried out to improve regulations, which today make it possible to localize the production of medical equipment in the country from global medical equipment vendors, as well as to increase the pace of development and launch of new production facilities in Kazakhstan.
As a result of an integrated approach, there are positive results in the form of concluded agreements with global vendors. Thus, a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of improving the quality of medical care was concluded between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Royal Philips.
The document was concluded in order to implement measures aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of medical care and digital health services. An agreement was reached to improve the quality of oncological and cardiological services, including the exchange of best practices in planning comprehensive care and routing patients based on modern methods of diagnosis, therapy planning, treatment and clinical monitoring of patients.
In addition, it is expected to implement measures to increase access and management of digital anonymized patient data and digital clinical images, review and improve the quality of digital health services in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Along with this, a framework agreement was concluded between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and GE Healthcare on the basic principles for the implementation of an investment project to organize a new production of high-tech diagnostic medical equipment GE HealthCare in Kazakhstan.
The document also provides for the development of cooperation in the areas of service, training of medical workers in the use of GE HealthCare equipment and modernization of the digital infrastructure of the country’s healthcare system.
At the end of last year, the first GE HealthCare Academy Training Center in Kazakhstan for clinical training of doctors was opened in Astana on the basis of the Astana Medical University NJSC.
GE HealthCare, as one of the leading manufacturers of medical equipment, takes an active part in organizing educational programs and trainings to ensure a high level of qualifications of personnel in the healthcare system of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the effective use of high-tech medical equipment.
The goal of the training center is to improve the qualifications of diagnostic doctors (ultrasound doctors) in Kazakhstan. It will help subject specialists and experts acquire skills in operating medical equipment, use modern clinical capabilities in daily practice and maintain a high level of medical staff skills throughout the life of the equipment.
The training program at the GE HealthCare Academy training centers covers the most pressing issues in medical imaging. The courses are aimed at both young professionals and experienced doctors.
Thus, the country has laid a solid foundation for mutually beneficial partnerships with global industry players. This became a reality, including thanks to close interaction and a series of negotiations between The Unified distributor and leading vendors.
It is worth noting that companies such as Canon, Samsung Medison, Mindray and others have also expressed interest in localizing production.
The Unified distributor is carrying out systematic work aimed at taking measures to reduce budget costs and minimize the downtime of equipment due to its malfunction, as well as improving service support for medical equipment.
In addition, The Unified distributor, as a procurement operator, carries out extensive measures to improve and improve business processes and the procurement system as a whole, aimed at transparency, anti-corruption, and increasing the level of procurement functioning.
The development of the domestic market for the production of modern medical equipment will ensure patient safety, appropriate quality of results and optimal time for conducting research.
Other articles about centralized procurement of medical equipment and cooperation with vendors:
CENTRALIZATION OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASE - https://sk-pharmacy.kz/rus/press-centr/smi_o_nas/czentralizacziya-zakupa-medtexniki
ON CENTRALIZED PURCHASES OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT - https://sk-pharmacy.kz/rus/press-centr/smi_o_nas/o-provedenii-czentralizovannyix-zakupok-mediczinskoj-texniki
WORLD GIANTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WILL COME TO THE KAZAKHSTAN MARKET - https://sk-pharmacy.kz/rus/press-centr/smi_o_nas/mirovyie-gigantyi-po-proizvodstvu-medoborudovaniya-pridut-na-kazaxstanskij-ryinok
LIFE CYCLE CONTRACTS: INNOVATION IN THE FIELD OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT - https://sk-pharmacy.kz/rus/press-centr/smi_o_nas/kontraktyi-zhiznennogo-czikla-innovacziya-v-sfere-osnashheniya-medoborudovaniem-2
CENTRALIZED PROCUREMENT OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT – A TOOL FOR ENSURING TRANSPARENCY - https://sk-pharmacy.kz/rus/press-centr/smi_o_nas/czentralizovannyij-zakup-medtexniki-%E2%80%93-instrument-obespecheniya-prozrachnosti
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