Vietnam - Higher punishment for medical sector violations

People who provide and receive bribes during medical examinations and treatment will be fined VND15-20 million (US$730-970), according to a new Government regulation.

The fine, to be applied from December 15, will be two to three times higher than the current one, dating from 2005.

However, with a limited supply of medical inspectors, supervision and control remains a headache, said Bui Duc Phong, deputy chief inspector from the Ministry of Health.

"To placate the problem, we are considering setting up a network of freelance inspectors, to include hospital watchmen and officials," he added.

Freelance inspectors will have the right to detect and report on violations to hospital management boards, the ministry's inspection division and people's committees at different levels.

Due to a lack of evidence, bringing violating doctors to justice has been near impossible, Phong said.

"Punishments are deterrent measures at the most. People need to be made more aware of the dangers they face as well as the subsequent consequences of illegal activity," he added.

Doctors and nurses from the five largest hospitals in Ha Noi, including the Viet Nam-Germany Hospital, the National Cancer Institute, the National Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital, Bach Mai and E Hospitals, recently committed to abolishing the practice of receiving bribes from patients, however, efforts have gone largely unsupervised.

Patients still provide doctors with money in thanks for receiving treatment.

A new maximum fine of VND30-40 million ($1,450-1,940) will be imposed on surrogacy and asexual reproduction activities, against the present figure of VND20-30 million ($970-1,450).

An additional fine of VND40 million ($1,940) will be applied to related family members grafting sperm, ovule or tissue.

These new regulations are aimed at preventing inter-family marriages as recently more and more couples have had trouble in having children, necessitating in-vitro fertilisation, Phong commented.

Erasing patient medical records will be additionally punished by VND2-5 million ($97-240) while certificate fraud would be dealt a VND10-15 million ($485-730) blow.

Doctors who write out incorrect prescriptions and fail to assist patients thus affected, would be fined VND4-8 million ($190-380) while those writing prescription for unnecessarily expensive medication would have to hand over VND10-20 million ($485-970).

VNS

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