The details of the Viet A test kit case recently announced by the representative of the C.03 Department of the Ministry of Public Security have revealed a “dark side” from the operating apparatus of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology. technology in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The “fierce journey” during the Covid-19 pandemic shows that some people in positions no longer have the conscience and morality of scientists and managers. Can this case be seen as a typical example of quickly handling violations in the fight against corruption in our country in recent years, when two members of the Party Central Committee are the leaders of the two ministries of Health and Science? Technology was arrested and detained after a series of moves in the right process?
The act of raising the price of the test kit and then using that excessive profit to share and bribe each other during the pandemic is unethical, and our society cannot tolerate it! Major General Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy director of the Criminal Investigation Department on corruption, economy and smuggling (C03), said that in the Viet A case, the police agency focused on investigating four groups of crimes, in which The center of wrongdoing is production, distribution, bidding, and out-of-contract payments.
Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said that since April 2020, when the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic began, we have handled the case of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hanoi takes advantage of the epidemic to make profit. “At that time, the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee carefully considered between epidemic prevention and control and handling warnings. However, recently we still had to deal with the Viet A case. This shows the fearlessness of a certain target group,” emphasized Mr. Duy Ngoc.
It also makes many people think that the proposal to amend the law in the direction of allowing the return of corrupt money and reducing prison sentences seems unlikely to help fight corruption successfully.
It can be seen that socio-economic development undertakings and policies, if not closely monitored and controlled from the beginning, are at risk of being exploited for corruption and negativity.
Therefore, it is necessary to do well the inspection, examination and supervision work within agencies and units to proactively detect and handle violations, so as not to let small violations accumulate into large violations.
In addition, with the focus on strictly dealing with negative corrupt acts, it is necessary to do a good job of perfecting institutions, policies and laws in a synchronous, effective and efficient manner.
Authorities have determined that, since being licensed in April 2020, until December 18, 2021, Viet A has provided Covid-19 test kits for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other facilities. other health care services of 62 provinces and cities across the country, with a revenue of nearly 4,000 billion VND.
The cost of each test kit is not too high, but the Ministry of Health shook hands somehow for Viet A to be raised to 470,000 VND/kit (an additional 45%). Also the Ministry of Health Price announcements that have been appraised as a basis for local purchasing are as if they are backed by a policy of co-corruption.
In principle, any medical facility that buys this price will still be in the safe zone announced by the Ministry of Health. The fact that local CDCs across the country buy for distribution or resale (depending on time and place) has made the establishment too secure because the purchase price has been approved by the Ministry and sent down, but they are still divided and returned.
Ordinary corruption is a worthy crime. Corruption from protecting human health is a tenable crime. Even when the epidemic is critical, but still trying to make a profit, the crime should be multiplied a hundred times.
Another big question mark that still needs further clarification from the investigating agencies is the state budget of nearly VND 19 billion that the Ministry of Science and Technology approved to spend for the Military Medical Academy to research and produce PCR kits. How is it spent that after only 2 weeks, the product has been successfully reported to the specialized departments, and then a series of scientists are prosecuted and disciplined?
Is there anything wrong with Viet A being a joint venture with scientists from the Military Medical Academy, a prestigious scientific unit in the medical industry in general? Otherwise, why prosecute a series of characters from the Ministry of Science and Technology, including the Minister and the leader of the Military Medical Academy?
At the Conference summarizing the 10 years of anti-corruption and anti-corruption work of the Party, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized: “Corruption is now gradually being curbed and prevented, and not as some opinions suggest. that too much focus on anti-corruption will “depress” and “delay” those who dare to think, dare to do, “slow” the development of the country but quite the opposite.
Accordingly, it is by doing well to build and correct the Party, and step up the fight against corruption and negativity, making an important contribution to promoting socio-economic development, maintaining political stability, and strengthening the nation. defense, security and foreign affairs, especially contributing to regaining and strengthening the people’s trust. At the same time, he rejected the false claim of bad, hostile and opposing forces that the fight against corruption and handling of wrongdoing cadres and party members is an “internal struggle”, a “faction”. “.
The past ten years have not been a long journey, but they are not short either. In the long run, we still need to build and perfect an institution so that any leader can carry out the assigned mission, including this complicated, difficult and easy to lose job. , so that anti-corruption work always runs on the same track as prescribed by the Party’s charter and Vietnamese law. Only in this way can we prevent civil servants from degenerating, who have corrupt intentions and cannot be corrupt nor dare to be corrupt.
Quoc Phong