Hanoi police have decided to prosecute 10 members of the staff of Hoai Duc District’s General Hospital in an incident involving the falsification of blood test results.
Hoai Duc District's General Hospital
The staff members, including some members of management, have been charged with dereliction of duty and malpractice. Their names have not been released.
They have been accused of duplicating around 1,000 blood test results given between July, 2012 and May, 2013.
For example, test results for a 70-year-old woman suffering from tuberculosis were identical to those of three other patients: a 27-year old man who was diagnosed with colon problems, a 61-year old woman being treated for tuberculosis, and a 12-year old girl diagnosed with appendicitis.
The case was brought to light through a letter written by three whistle-blowers: Hoang Thi Nguyet who has worked at the hospital laboratory for more than 20 years, Khuat Thi Dinh and Phan Thi Nam Dong.
The letter accused hospital's director, Nguyen Tri Liem, of allowing unprofessional practices by technicians, including throwing away blood samples and duplicating results from previous patients. These technicians were responsible for 200-300 each day.
The three whistle-blowers (left to right): Hoang Thi Nguyet, Khuat Thi Dinh and Phan Thi Nam Dong
The director of the hosptial, Nguyen Tri Liem, and the deputy director, Vuong Kim Thanh, said that they would not comment until the petition was made public.
Director Nguyen Tri Liem, along with five other employees, have been suspended until August 22, pending the investigation.
The Hanoi Department of Health praised the three whistle-blowers for their brave action. The department director, Nguyen Khac Hien, promised them protections, saying that he would take personal responsibility for any reprisals against them.