A doctor from the Hanoi Eyes Hospital has denounced the director for exchanging better-quality crystalline lens for lower-quality ones.
The US's crystalline lens is blue and the Indian one is yellow
According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy’s petition, patients who experienced the crystalline lens surgery at the institute under the Faco method are often advised to select the US’s IQ Alcon crystalline lens priced at VND6.5 million (USD309.5) in case patients do not have health insurance.
Despite bills confirming the US’s crystalline lens, during the operation, these crystalline lenses are exchanged into HOYA and Focus brands, which are cheaper and lower quality.
Dr. Thuy said in 2011, the hospital conducted around 3,000 crystalline lens operations, of which, around 800 were given fraudulently-exchanged ones.
Not only crystalline lens but also the fluid used for the operations was allegedly exchanged.
The Chief Inspector of the Hanoi Department of Health, Nguyen Viet Cuong, said the hospital heard a similar denunciation two years ago. Investigations were made into the matter.
He added that the inspection results showed that the institute had changed crystalline lenses for a number of patients during the surgery process upon the request of surgeons. They claimed the changes were aimed at giving the patients more suitable crystalline lenses.
Meanwhile, the directorate of the institute also denied Dr. Thuys’ denunciation, saying that no such fraud had ever taken place there. If a patient was required to change for another, more appropriate and cheaper crystalline lens than the one given before, the patient was made to pay only the appropriate price.
They also added that all three crystalline lenses of IQ Acol, HOYA and FOCUS have the same price and quality and their prices are publicly announced at the institute.
Regarding Dr. Thuy’s petition, Hanoi Party Secretary, Pham Quan Nghi, said he received many denunciations concerning the Hanoi Eyes Hospital's fraud and had urged management agencies for investigations.
Despite the official conclusions made, Dr. Thuy still disagreed, and said she will instruct the agencies to conduct further investigation to ensure their objectivity.
