S.R.VIET NAM

GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE

The Government ofS.R. Viet Nam has received a credit from theInternational Development Association (IDA) in the amount of US$ 66,000,000 equivalent toward the cost of the Northern UplandHealth Support Project, and it intends to apply the proceeds of this credit to payments for goods, works,related services andconsulting services to be procured under this project. The objective of the Project is to increase the utilization of district health services especially among the poor and ethnic minorities population of the 7 Northern Upland Provinces through improving thequality of district-level hospitals and reducing financial constraints to access to health services.

The projectwill include the following parts:

PART I:           District-level HealthServices    

            Carry out a program to improve the quality of healthservices at the district hospitals of the Northern Upland Provinces, consisting of:

A.        (i)Strengthening of the capacity of the health workforce through programs of long- and short-term training; and (ii) development andpiloting of incentive schemes to increase retention of health workers in the Northern UplandProvinces.

B.         (i)Provision of basic medical equipment; and upgrading and refurbishment of selected facilities; and(ii) improvement of districthospital management.

PART II:          Financial Access to HealthServices

            Carry out a program to address demand-side constraintsto access to health services among the poor and ethnic minorities population of the Northern Upland Provinces, consisting of:

A.        (i)Assessment of the pattern and distribution of catastrophic health care expenditures and piloting of a program of support for thedirect costs of catastrophic health care; and (ii) piloting of a program of support fornon-medical expenditures of health care for eligible beneficiaries.

B.        Strengthening of institutional capacity to manage the Health Care Fund for the Poor.

C.        Promotionof health-seeking behavior through information dissemination and other outreach activities regarding benefits and entitlementsunder the Health Care Funds for the Poor.

PART III:         Monitoring, Evaluation and Project ManagementSupport

Carry outcomprehensive monitoring and evaluation of Project activities; and enhance Project management capacity, including throughimprovements in the procurement review and approval processes, and auditing of Project accounts.

Procurement ofcontracts forgoods and works financed by the Credit will be conducted through the procedures specified in the World Bank'sGuidelines: Procurement underIBRD Loans and IDA Credits, dated May 2004, revised October 2006, andis open to all bidders fromeligible source countries as defined in the guidelines. Consulting services will be selected in accordance withthe World Bank'sGuidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, dated May 2004, revised October 2006.

Specific Procurement Notices for all ICB contracts for goods and works and for contracts for consultancy services will beannounced, as they become available, in Development Business and dgMarket andVietnam News newspaper, and Vietnam procurement Review newspaper. For procurement ofgoods and works through NCB, , advertisement will be placed in at least one national newspaper of nation-wide circulation  and the Vietnam Procurement Review newspaper.

Interested eligiblebidders who wish to be included on the mailing list to receive an invitation to bid under ICB procedures, and interestedconsultants who wish to receive a copy of the advertisement requesting expressions of interest for large-value consultants'contracts, or those requiring additional information, should contact the address below:

The NorthernUpland Health Support Project

Ministry of Health of S.R. VietNam

PhD. Nguyen Hoang Long, ProjectDirector

138A Giang Vo Street, Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi City, VietNam

Room 406, 4^th floor,Building A

Tel: 00 84 4 37367804. Fax: 00 84 437367856. Email: Nup@fpt.vn