The hospital medical equipment procurement process should not begin with searching for a specific device model or asking suppliers to provide quotations. It should begin with the clinical need the hospital is trying to address: patient volume, existing capacity, clinical workflows, infrastructure conditions, available operating personnel, and the ability to maintain the equipment over many years.
A device with advanced specifications may still be unsuitable if the hospital lacks adequate installation space, trained staff, data connectivity, or reliable access to spare parts after the warranty period. Conversely, selecting equipment based only on the initial purchase price may lead to additional costs for facility renovation, consumables, maintenance, software, and equipment downtime.
An effective procurement process should therefore connect three perspectives: clinical needs, technical requirements, and operational efficiency. From the initial request through final acceptance, each stage should create a clear basis for selecting the right equipment, the right supplier, and the right implementation conditions.
A Good Procurement Decision Begins Before the Specification Sheet
When a department proposes purchasing new equipment, the request is often described by product name: an ultrasound system, laboratory analyzer, patient monitor, endoscopy system, or rehabilitation device.
However, the device name alone does not fully describe the problem the hospital needs to solve.
Before developing technical specifications, the proposing team should clarify:
- Which clinical workflow currently lacks equipment support?
- Does the existing equipment still meet current needs?
- What is the expected number of cases per day, month, or year?
- Is the need driven by higher patient volume, a new service, or replacement of aging equipment?
- Can equipment be transferred or shared between departments?
- Will the new equipment change existing workflows?
- Will additional staff, retraining, or dedicated engineering support be required?
- How would clinical operations be affected if the hospital does not make the purchase?
- If the equipment is purchased, which performance indicators are expected to improve?
Instead of stating simply that the laboratory “needs an automated analyzer,” the proposal should define the problem more specifically:
The laboratory needs to increase sample-processing capacity during peak hours, reduce waiting times, standardize result transmission to the LIS, and establish a backup solution when the primary equipment is out of service.
This type of description helps clinical and technical teams define the required output and performance. It also gives suppliers a basis for proposing a solution rather than simply offering a device with numerous features.
Stage One: Confirming the Need and Scope of Investment
Procurement needs should be assessed at both the user department level and the hospital-wide level.
One department may consider its current equipment overloaded, while the medical equipment department may identify similar equipment in another department that is underutilized. In such cases, equipment transfer, scheduling changes, or partial system upgrades may be more appropriate than purchasing new equipment.
The following options should be considered together:
1. Continue using the existing equipment.
2. Perform major maintenance or repair.
3. Upgrade software, accessories, or configuration.
4. Transfer equipment between departments.
5. Lease equipment or outsource the service.
6. Purchase new equipment.
7. Invest in an integrated system rather than an individual device.
The decision should be based on actual data. Useful information includes:
- Age of the current equipment.
- Frequency of failures.
- Downtime.
- Repair costs in recent years.
- Utilization level.
- Spare part availability.
- Manufacturer support status.
- Ability to meet new clinical requirements.
- Compatibility with existing systems.
For public healthcare facilities, procurement must also be considered within the applicable legal framework for bidding, state budgets, and public asset management. The current legal framework includes Consolidated Bidding Law No. 74/VBHN-VPQH dated March 25, 2026, and Decree No. 214/2025/NĐ-CP on contractor selection. Facilities should review the regulations and applicable delegation of authority in effect at the time procurement is organized.
Stage Two: Assessing Infrastructure Before Selecting Equipment
One common reason projects are delayed is that the equipment has already been purchased while the installation site and infrastructure are not yet ready.
Depending on the equipment category, hospitals may need to assess:
- Room area.
- Transportation routes and door dimensions.
- Floor load capacity.
- Electrical supply and power capacity.
- Grounding system.
- Uninterruptible power supply or backup power.
- Cooling and ventilation.
- Temperature, humidity, and dust control.
- Water supply and water quality.
- Drainage.
- Medical gases.
- Radiation shielding or control.
- Network connectivity.
- Server or data storage location.
- Biosafety and infection control requirements.
Infrastructure costs can be significant compared with the equipment purchase price. If they are not included in the initial plan, hospitals may need an additional renovation package or design changes after the equipment has already been delivered.
Suppliers should be asked to provide site planning documentation or installation preparation instructions. However, hospitals should not depend entirely on the assessment of a particular supplier before procurement requirements have been finalized. The technical team should independently identify the required input conditions and assess whether the facility can meet them.
For digitally connected equipment, the information technology department should participate in the infrastructure assessment. Questions to clarify include:
- How will the device connect to HIS, LIS, RIS, or PACS?
- Will data be stored on the device, an internal server, or another platform?
- Who will have access?
- Will the supplier have remote access for support?
- Can data be exported if the supplier is changed?
- How will software updates be managed?
- Will network ports need to be opened or security policies modified?
Addressing these issues after installation is generally more time-consuming than including them in the technical requirements from the beginning.
From Purchase Price to Total Cost of Ownership
The purchase price is only one part of the investment.
Over the equipment lifecycle, hospitals may also incur costs for:
- Transportation.
- Installation.
- Facility renovation.
- Training.
- Accessories.
- Consumables.
- Chemicals and reagents.
- Software.
- Recurring licenses.
- System integration.
- Calibration.
- Verification.
- Maintenance.
- Repairs.
- Spare parts.
- Electricity, water, or medical gases.
- Waste disposal.
- Deinstallation and disposal.
Hospitals should therefore compare options based on total cost of ownership rather than only the quoted price.
For example, a device with a lower initial price may not be the more economical long-term choice if it depends on proprietary consumables, requires high annual software fees, or has long spare part lead times.
Conversely, a more expensive option should not automatically be selected on the assumption that higher cost means better performance. Any additional cost should correspond to a clearly explainable operational benefit, such as:
- Increasing capacity in line with actual demand.
- Reducing sample transfer time.
- Reducing manual handling.
- Improving connectivity.
- Expanding the range of applications.
- Improving backup capability.
- Reducing equipment downtime.
- Extending the period of technical support.
When state budget funds are used for procurement, facilities must also follow the applicable requirements for budgeting, management, use, and settlement. Decree No. 98/2025/NĐ-CP currently regulates the use of recurrent state budget expenditures for procurement, repair, and upgrading of assets and equipment.
Stage Three: Translating Clinical Needs into Technical Requirements
Technical requirements are the bridge between users, procurement teams, and the supplier market. If requirements are too general, hospitals may struggle to distinguish between solutions. If they are written too specifically around a particular model, competition may be unnecessarily restricted without being driven by actual needs.
A strong specification should describe the required outcome first, and then define the technical parameters necessary to achieve that outcome.
Start with Intended Use
The intended use should clarify:
- Which specialty will use the equipment?
- Who will use it?
- What types of procedures will be performed?
- What is the intended operating environment?
- What level of capacity is expected?
- What outputs are required?
- Which systems need to be connected?
The intended use should align with the facility's professional scope. Hospitals should not purchase additional features simply because the device supports them if there is no actual need, trained personnel, or implementation capability.
Distinguish Mandatory from Preferred Requirements
Mandatory requirements are conditions without which the equipment cannot meet the hospital's needs.
Preferred requirements are features that provide additional value but are not essential for basic use.
Separating these two groups makes the evaluation process more transparent and reduces the risk of excluding an otherwise suitable solution because it lacks a feature that may rarely be used.
Do Not Overlook Accessories and Included Configuration
The main device name does not describe the entire solution. Procurement documentation should clarify:
- Standard accessories.
- Optional accessories.
- Number of probes, sensors, or modules.
- Computer and monitor.
- Printer.
- UPS.
- Cart.
- Instrument set.
- Software.
- User licenses.
- Reference devices or testing tools.
- Initial consumables.
- Spare part kit.
If these are not clearly specified, suppliers may quote devices with the same product name but materially different configurations.
Include Services in the Technical Requirements
Procurement documentation should cover:
- Warranty period.
- Warranty scope.
- Number of maintenance visits during the warranty period.
- Response time when faults occur.
- Expected repair time.
- Replacement equipment arrangements.
- User training.
- Technical training.
- Vietnamese-language documentation where applicable.
- Spare part availability.
- Duration of post-warranty support.
- Expected post-warranty service costs.
- Software update conditions.
The value of medical equipment does not end on the acceptance date. Support over the following years directly affects operational effectiveness.
Stage Four: Completing the Legal Basis and Procurement Plan
Before organizing supplier selection, hospitals should determine:
- Funding source.
- Approval authority.
- Applicable standards and equipment norms.
- Selection form and method.
- Scope of the procurement package.
- Implementation plan.
- Responsibilities of each unit.
- Information disclosure requirements.
- Appraisal and approval documentation.
For specialized equipment at public facilities, applicable standards and usage norms must also comply with relevant delegation of authority and current regulations. Decision No. 15/2025/QĐ-TTg regulates standards and usage norms for machinery and equipment. The Ministry of Health has also issued Circular No. 46/2025/TT-BYT on delegation of authority to determine standards and usage norms for specialized machinery and equipment classified as medical devices within its management scope.
Certain medical devices and laboratory supplies are also included in the national centralized procurement list under Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BYT, effective March 1, 2026. Facilities should review the current list before organizing procurement independently.
These regulations do not apply in the same way to every hospital, funding source, or procurement package. Procurement teams should therefore coordinate with legal, finance, and competent authorities to determine the appropriate process at the time of implementation.
Stage Five: Evaluating Proposals Using Multiple Layers of Criteria
A proposal that is administratively compliant is not necessarily the most suitable operational solution. The evaluation process should consider four layers.
Layer One: Validity and Product Documentation
Review:
- Company information.
- Manufacturer information.
- Market authorization number.
- Model.
- Device classification.
- Warranty service provider.
- Catalog.
- Technical documentation.
- Authorization documents where applicable.
- Relevant updated records.
Medical device management requirements in Vietnam are currently consolidated in Consolidated Document No. 08/VBHN-BYT dated March 6, 2026. Hospitals and businesses should review this document together with other guidance in force at the time of evaluation.
Layer Two: Technical Compliance
Important technical requirements should not be assessed solely by marking “yes” or “no” based on the catalog. For key specifications, evaluators should determine:
- On which page of the documentation the information appears.
- Which model meets the requirement.
- Whether the feature is standard or optional.
- Whether the software is included or requires an additional purchase.
- What conditions are required for the feature to function.
- Which accessories are mandatory.
- Whether the specification is maintained in the offered configuration.
If a demonstration or trial is required, the hospital should define the evaluation criteria, scope of the trial, and method for recording results in advance. A demonstration should not become a promotional activity without objective comparison criteria.
Layer Three: Implementation Capability
A device may meet catalog specifications but still create risk if it is incompatible with the facility's infrastructure.
Consider:
- Delivery timeline.
- Installation plan.
- Renovation requirements.
- Integration capability.
- Training capability.
- Availability of support personnel.
- Spare parts inventory.
- Location of service centers.
- Experience with the relevant equipment category.
- Local support capability.
Layer Four: Lifecycle Cost
Comparison should include:
- Equipment price.
- Accessory costs.
- Consumable costs.
- Software fees.
- Post-warranty maintenance.
- Spare parts likely to require replacement.
- Infrastructure costs.
- Additional training costs.
- Calibration or verification costs.
- Expected downtime.
Where certain costs cannot yet be determined precisely, hospitals may ask suppliers to disclose pricing principles or reference price lists for evaluation purposes.
Stage Six: Turning Supplier Commitments into Contract Terms
Many post-handover problems arise because commitments made during the proposal process are not incorporated into the contract.
The contract should clearly specify:
- Device name and model.
- Manufacturer and manufacturing facility.
- Full configuration.
- Accessories.
- Quantity.
- Delivery schedule.
- Delivery conditions.
- Responsibility for site preparation.
- Installation scope.
- Acceptance criteria.
- Training requirements.
- Warranty period.
- Maintenance requirements.
- Response time.
- Spare part supply responsibilities.
- Software update conditions.
- Licenses.
- Data integration.
- Security.
- Documentation to be handed over.
- Actions if the equipment fails to meet requirements.
- Post-warranty obligations.
Phrases such as “comprehensive training,” “timely technical support,” or “maintenance according to manufacturer standards” may be difficult to evaluate if they are not quantified.
Instead, the contract should specify:
- How many groups of personnel will be trained.
- Training duration and content.
- Whether post-training assessment is required.
- When response time begins to be measured.
- Whether support will be remote or on-site.
- Number of maintenance visits during the warranty period.
- Which spare parts are included.
- Circumstances in which replacement equipment will be provided.
- Which technical documents will be handed over.
Stage Seven: Acceptance Is More Than Checking Quantity
Medical equipment acceptance should be carried out across three layers: documentation, technical performance, and operational readiness.
Documentation Acceptance
The acceptance team should review:
- Contract and appendices.
- Delivery note.
- Packing list.
- Market authorization documentation.
- Catalog.
- Equipment labels.
- Instructions for use.
- Technical documentation.
- Warranty documentation.
- Origin-related documents where applicable.
- Verification or calibration results where required.
- Software licenses.
- Administrator account information.
- Accessory list.
The documentation should match the actual equipment, particularly the model and serial number.
Technical Acceptance
The equipment should be checked against the agreed configuration:
- External condition.
- Quantity.
- Accessories.
- Main functions.
- Operating modes.
- Verifiable technical specifications.
- Alarms.
- Backup power.
- Connectivity.
- Software.
- Data export and storage.
- Trial operation.
- Relevant safety conditions.
The fact that the device powers on is not sufficient to confirm compliance. Acceptance results should be based on criteria established in the procurement documentation and contract.
Operational Acceptance
This stage is often underestimated.
Hospitals should confirm that:
- Personnel have been trained.
- Users can perform basic operations.
- Start-up and shutdown procedures are understood.
- Alarm handling has been explained.
- Documentation is accessible.
- The device has been formally handed over to the responsible unit.
- A fault-reporting contact is available.
- A maintenance schedule has been established.
- Initial supplies are sufficient for operation.
- Data are transmitted correctly where integration is required.
- Configuration backup arrangements have been established where necessary.
A device that has been installed but cannot yet be operated independently by staff should not necessarily be considered a completed project.
The Lifecycle Management Stage Begins After Acceptance
After acceptance, the medical equipment department should add the device to the management system.
Activities include:
- Assigning an equipment ID.
- Applying an identification label.
- Recording the model and serial number.
- Updating location.
- Assigning the responsible person.
- Storing electronic records.
- Establishing the maintenance schedule.
- Monitoring warranty expiration.
- Establishing verification or calibration schedules where applicable.
- Recording software and version information.
- Storing supplier information.
- Tracking spare parts and consumables.
- Establishing a fault-reporting channel.
- Assessing utilization after the initial operating period.
During the first few months, hospitals should monitor:
- Utilization level.
- Failure frequency.
- Ability to meet operational needs.
- Supplier response time.
- User feedback.
- Consumable costs.
- Effectiveness of data integration.
- Features that remain underutilized.
- Need for additional training.
These data are necessary to evaluate the quality of the procurement decision. If records are maintained only until the acceptance date, hospitals will lack evidence for future investment decisions.
A Good Procurement Process Requires Continuity
The medical equipment procurement process should not be divided into isolated stages where the user department submits a request, procurement signs the contract, the technical team performs acceptance, and each party then considers its responsibility complete.
Information should flow continuously:
- Clinical needs become technical criteria.
- Technical criteria become evaluation criteria.
- Evaluation results become contract terms.
- Contract terms become acceptance criteria.
- Acceptance results become lifecycle management records.
If one link is missing, a hospital may purchase the correct device on paper but still fail to obtain the most appropriate solution in practice.
This article is provided for informational purposes only. Healthcare facilities should review the regulations on bidding, budgeting, public asset management, medical device management, and delegation of authority in effect at the time of implementation.
Medical Equipment Investment Decisions: Procurement Perspectives at PHARMEDI & HEALTHCARE VIETNAM 2026
An effective medical equipment procurement decision is not determined only by specifications or quoted price. Clinical needs, infrastructure conditions, integration capability, lifecycle costs, supplier support capacity, and acceptance criteria should all be considered from the planning stage.
This is also one of the topics included in the International Conference Series on Investment and Innovation in Healthcare at PHARMEDI & HEALTHCARE VIETNAM 2026. On September 22, 2026, the session “Procurement Decisions for Hospital Supplies & Investment: How Have Hospitals in Vietnam Approached Them?” focuses directly on how healthcare facilities approach investment and procurement decisions in practice.
For hospital leaders, procurement teams, medical supplies and equipment departments, and organizations preparing investment plans, the session may provide additional practical perspectives on issues that should be considered before making a procurement decision:
- Whether the investment need is based on actual clinical requirements and utilization capacity.
- Which specifications are genuinely necessary and which features are supplementary.
- Whether existing infrastructure can support installation and operation.
- How total cost of ownership changes when consumables, software, maintenance, and spare parts are included.
- Compatibility with HIS, LIS, RIS, PACS, or other existing data systems.
- Supplier capabilities in training, warranty, and technical support.
- Which commitments should be transferred from the proposal into the contract.
- Which criteria should be defined in advance for equipment acceptance after installation.
After gaining investment perspectives from the conference, visitors to PHARMEDI VIETNAM 2026 can also explore a wide range of medical devices, technologies, and healthcare solutions across the exhibition area. This provides an opportunity to compare identified needs with solutions available in the market and discuss configurations, implementation conditions, system integration, and after-sales services before developing a specific investment plan. PHARMEDI 2026 also focuses on hospital solutions, medical technologies, diagnostics, and solutions supporting innovation in healthcare delivery.
In this way, participating in PHARMEDI VIETNAM 2026 can help hospitals not only explore new equipment but also connect investment management perspectives with the evaluation of practical solutions — from the initial clinical need through implementation and operation after equipment acceptance.
Dates: September 22–24, 2026
Venue: Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City
Exhibitor Registration:https://pharmed.vn/exhibitor/application-form
Visitor Registration:https://ers-vn.informa-info.com/pha2026?cid=FB
ContactBooth Booking:[email protected] (Thanh Thuý)
Media Support:[email protected] (Anita Pham)
Visitor Support:[email protected] (Ciel Le)