The Investigation Police Agency of Hoa Binh province on July 2 launched legal proceedings against a leader and a former employee of Hoa Binh General Hospital for their involvement in the medical incident leaving eight patients dead at the kidney dialysis division.
Deputy Director of the Hoa Binh General Hospital Hoang Dinh Khieu (Photo: tuoitre.vn)
Deputy Director of the Hoa Binh General Hospital Hoang Dinh Khieu, born in 1962 in Lang Son province and residing in Dong Tien ward, Hoa Binh city, and former head of the hospital’s Medical Materials and Equipment Department Tran Van Thang, born in 1965 in Thai Binh province and residing in Su Ngoi commune, Hoa Binh city, were prosecuted. They were banned from leaving their residences.
On June 5, the People’s Court of Hoa Binh city decided to return dossiers on the medical incident for additional investigations.
The defendants of the case are Bui Manh Quoc (born in 1986, Director of the Tram Anh Water Treatment Co. Ltd), who was prosecuted for “unintentionally causing deaths”, Tran Van Son (born in 1990, employee of the medical material and equipment division of the Hoa Binh General Hospital), and Hoang Cong Luong (born in 1986, doctor in the Department of Intensive Care of the Hoa Binh General Hospital), who were prosecuted for “lacking responsibility causing serious consequences.”
The panel proposed prosecution for Hoang Dinh Khieu, Deputy Director of the hospital and Head of the Department of Intensive Care, and Tran Van Thang, former Head of the hospital’s Medical Materials and Equipment Department, to clarify their “negligence of responsibility, causing serious consequences”.
More investigations should be carried out on Truong Quy Duong, former Director of the hospital, and Do Anh Tuan, director of Thien Son Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, relating to the signing of the contract on machines purchase, and repair and maintenance of medical materials.
Relevant authority should work more to throw light on the responsibility of doctors Nguyen Manh Linh and Pham Thi Huyen, and nurses Nguyen Thu Hang, Do Thi Diep and Nguyen Thi Hau in the kidney dialysis and the transfer of RO water filter No.2 after maintenance, the panel said.
In addition, the panel recommended reviewing the responsibility of the provincial Department of Health on granting license, managing, and inspecting the hospital’s activities, including the artificial kidney dialysis.
Violations of Khieu and Thang were clarified during investigations of the Investigation Police Agency.
On May 29, 2017, 18 patients suffered from symptoms of anaphylactic shock like breathing difficulty, sudden blood pressure fall, stomach ache and vomiting while receiving kidney dialysis at the kidney dialysis division of the Hoa Binh General Hospital’s Department of Intensive Care. Eight of the patients died in this incident.
According to authorised agencies, unqualified water for kidney dialysis and equipment maintained and operated not in line with the regulated process were the causes of the incident.
On April 20, doctor Hoang Cong Luong sent a letter to the Party, State and Government leaders, expressing his hope that the case will be judged in an open and fair manner.-VNA