On September 16, the Ministry of Health submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister to review and forward a recommendation to the President to revoke the Third-class Labor Order previously awarded to Dr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Hanoi Medical University and Director of the Institute of Mental Health at Bach Mai Hospital.

Dr. Nguyen Van Tuan had earlier been granted the Third-class Labor Order under the Presidential Decision No. 1326/QD-CTN, dated November 28, 2024.

According to the Ministry of Health, the request to revoke the honor was based on recommendations from Hanoi Medical University and Dr. Tuan’s own written request.

In August, Dr. Tuan submitted a letter to the Central Emulation and Commendation Board under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and Hanoi Medical University, requesting the withdrawal of his Third-class Labor Order.

In his letter, Dr. Tuan explained that his award application was prepared by the department secretary. Due to his busy schedule and trust in his staff, he signed the documents without thoroughly reviewing them. The application mistakenly included an inaccurate assessment of his Party performance and omitted a disciplinary notice - a collective warning issued in July 2022 to the leadership board of the Institute of Mental Health at Bach Mai Hospital, related to staff misconduct.

“According to the criteria for awarding the Third-class Labor Order, I do not meet the required standards,” Dr. Tuan wrote. “I sincerely apologize and request the return of this honor.”

Dr. Nguyen Van Tuan received his PhD in Sweden in 2010 and has headed the Department of Psychiatry at Hanoi Medical University since 2015. He was appointed Associate Professor two years later. Since 2022, he has served as Director of the Institute of Mental Health at Bach Mai Hospital.

Dr. Tuan is a specialist in stress-related disorders, somatoform disorders, autonomic nervous system disorders, and other mental health conditions.

Vo Thu