VietNamNet Bridge – The flight carrying Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh from the US to Vietnam was canceled due to bad weather and the rumors "Thanh was poisoned" is false, said Prof. Pham Gia Khai of the Central Healthcare Board on January 6.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh.

Khai, Chief of the Central Healthcare Board, which is responsible of taking care of the health of senior officials, canceled his flight from Hanoi to Da Nang to have a medical consultation with Thanh, former Party Secretary of Da Nang and Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission, on January 6. He said the consultation will be held on January 8.

He said the treatment regimen applied by US doctors for Thanh is similar to Vietnam: destroying marrow to let marrow develop again.

Khai said the rumor “Thanh was poisoned” is false. "There is no evidence to prove that Thanh was poisoned by chemicals or toxins. Anybody can get this malignant blood disease," he said.

Suffering from bone marrow disease, Thanh went to the US for treatment from August 16. He was absent at the National Assembly session last October.

On Tuesday morning, a closed meeting on security task took place at Da Nang Airport in preparation for welcoming Thanh.

Mr. Pham Phu My, Director of Da Nang airport security division, said in the coming days, when Thanh arrives at the airport, it is expected that many people will go to the airport to welcome Thanh so security will be enhanced to prevent congestion, affecting the transportation of Thanh to the hospital.

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Trieu, Head of the Central Healthcare Board, will chair a press conference on the health situation of Thanh on January 7 afternoon. "All the questions that the media is interested in will be answered," he said.

Thanh was born in 1953 in Hoa Vang, Da Nang. He served as Chairman and Party Secretary of Da Nang. His statement "saying is doing" is supported and trusted by the people, who expected Thanh to make a positive contribution to the fight against corruption when he assumed the position of Head of the Central Home Affairs Committee in late December 2012.

Working in Hanoi, Thanh is still a member of the National Assembly delegation of Da Nang. At the 8th session of the National Assembly in October, he was absent due to medical treatment.

Compiled by Tran Cham