The Hanoi's People's Court last Friday sentenced Nguyen Manh Tuong, the cosmetic surgeon, to 19 years in jail for throwing the body of a patient who died during surgery into the river.

Nguyen Manh Tuong (left) at the court.

He was forced to pay compensation of more than VND585 million (US$28,125) to the family of the victim. Tuong was also banned from practicing as a surgeon for five years after being released from prison.

Dao Quang Khanh, who worked as a guard at the beauty salon and helped the surgeon dump the dead body into Hong (Red) River, was sentenced to 33 months in prison.

The court said that Tuong committed two crimes, including the violation of regulations on giving diagnoses, treatment, and prescribing medicine; and committing an offence on a dead body.

Last October, Le Thi Thanh Huyen, 37, died after undergoing breast implant surgery at the privately-owned Cat Tuong Beauty Salon in Ha Noi. She had difficulty breathing and started foaming at the mouth. Her body turned blue.

Tuong, who carried out the surgery, gave her oxygen and other emergency treatment, but she did not respond.

Tuong later dumped the body in the Hong River with the help of Khanh.

Tuong was arrested several days later working for the State-owned Bach Mai Hospital. His salon had a business licence but no permit to carry out cosmetic surgery.

Huyen's body was found in the river in July this year and identified by DNA tests.

VNS/VNN