On March 4, Ha Anh Duc, Director of the MOH’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, sent a document to health departments requesting to rectify advertising activities of medical examination and treatment facilities.

According to Duc, the department has received reports from several entities and media outlets concerning advertisements on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14vaFottJw/, where DNA International Hospital advertised "high-tech blood filtration techniques to remove blood lipids and reduce stroke risk".

The agency has requested the HCM City Department of Health to inspect the content related to the report about DNA International Hospital’s advertisements.

"If the hospital’s advertisements do not align with the approved technical items or the content confirmed in the advertising permit, we request strict handling of the violations," the document stated.

The agency also requested health departments nationwide to inspect and review the advertising content of medical examination and treatment facilities within their jurisdictions, and to impose severe penalties if medical facilities advertise services for which they are not licensed.

On March 4, when the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management issued the document, the Facebook address https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14vaFottJw/ was deactivated. Meanwhile, on the website https://benhvienquoctedna.vn/, people could see a prominent title about hi-tech blood filtration; however, details about this service were no longer available on the page.

Associate Professor and Doctor Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, has recently shared on his personal Facebook page the story about people flocking to undergo blood filtration to remove blood lipids and treat various ailments.

Many facilities advertise that blood filtration alone can eliminate blood lipids and "bad blood" to prevent strokes, atherosclerosis, diabetes, fatty liver, and more. They affirmed that patients can go to Singapore and Japan to observe the blood filtration therapy.

Hieu said, if just 2-3 hours and a cost of less than VND10 million could prevent strokes and eliminate blood lipids and diabetes, "cardiologists like me would surely be out of work".

"A truly effective method would be included in the guidelines of professional associations, but as of now, there have been no recommendations for preventive blood filtration," Hieu said.

When contacting a health care brokerage center in Hai Ba Trung District in Hanoi, Hong Hanh, 47, was offered a blood lipid filtration service to prevent strokes and cardiovascular diseases, priced at over VND200 million.

Hanh told VietNamNet that her mother suffers from diabetes and high blood lipid levels, particularly cholesterol and triglycerides. Over the past six months, her mother’s health has declined. 

Hearing that blood filtration could prevent strokes, Hanh wanted her mother to try the service. However, the high cost of nearly $9,000—excluding airfare, meals, and lodging, makes her waver between using and not using the service. 

“The cost is quite high and I have not heard about a success story,” she explained.

VietNamNet reporters later managed to contact the consultancy office at the address provided by Hanh. An officer there assured that this Japanese technology could eliminate bad blood lipids, heavy metals, microplastics, neurotoxins, viruses, and harmful proteins within just 2-3 hours. Patients just need to lie on a bed and their blood will be filtered automatically by equipment.

The officer said that the operation will be done at a large hospital in Hanoi, while those who want to use the service in Japan will be assisted to apply for a visa to Japan.

He affirmed that after just two hours, blood lipid levels will drop to normal. The broker provided examples of a client’s triglyceride test results, showing a reduction from 248 mg/dL before filtration to 42 mg/dL after two hours, and cholesterol dropping from 235 mg/dL to 153 mg/dL.

The broker claimed that for patients with high blood lipids, elevated liver enzymes, fatty liver, and other conditions, blood filtration completely "washes away" toxins and lipids. This method is touted as widely popular in Japan, where many people reportedly undergo periodic blood filtration to eliminate blood lipids and other toxins, thereby extending their lifespan.

Dr Pham Nguyen Quy, PhD, Head of the Internal Oncology Department at Kyoto Miniren Central Hospital in Japan, said that no data indicates that Japanese live longer thanks to blood filtration. Currently, there is no scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of blood filtration for detoxification. 

Phuong Thuy