The child is brought to Nam Dinh General Hospital on May 3.
On the evening of May 5, a hospital representative confirmed to Dantri Newspaper that five staff members, three doctors and two nurses, had been temporarily suspended to facilitate an investigation into the claims, including a video circulating on social media. The clip shows hospital personnel stating that emergency care would only be given once a full deposit was paid.
According to the Nam Dinh Department of Health, the incident involved a 4-year-old child injured in a traffic accident. In the video, two hospital staff members discuss a deposit; one notes that the patient’s family had paid VND500,000 (approx. USD20), while the other responds that the amount was insufficient.
The hospital has acknowledged responsibility and has co-operated with police to verify the events. All five suspended staff were reportedly part of the emergency shift on May 3.
The controversy began when a 37-year-old man shared a video and account of what happened. He said he was installing an air conditioner in Thanh Loi Commune when he heard a traffic collision. He rushed to the scene and found a motorised three-wheeler had hit a child. He acted quickly and brought the child to Nam Dinh General Hospital on his motorbike.
Upon arrival, a doctor conducted a preliminary check and told him a VND2 million (approx. USD80) hospital deposit was required. The man said he only had VND500,000 on him. Despite his explanation and pleas for urgent care, staff allegedly insisted on full payment before proceeding with treatment. The video he recorded shows his frustration as he appealed for help.
Roughly ten minutes later, the child was finally taken in for CT scans and other assessments before being transferred to the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi.
On May 5, Dr Cao Viet Tung, Deputy Director of the National Children’s Hospital, reported that the child was no longer on a ventilator and had passed the critical stage.
Doctors said the child had suffered a left diaphragmatic rupture, causing the stomach and intestines to herniate into the chest cavity, a grade-3 kidney injury, and damage to the small intestine. Surgeons successfully repaired the diaphragm, resected and reconnected the damaged intestine, and preserved the affected kidney.
