On 6/9, hospital representatives announced the dismissal of Nguyen Van Thang, 34, a contract worker in the intensive care unit, and Vu Van Giap, 41, a contract worker in the administrative department. Nurse Nguyen Thi Thiu, 30, also from the intensive care unit, received a formal reprimand.
The disciplinary action stems from an incident where an ambulance charged 21 million VND to transport a patient 200 km from Bac Ninh General Hospital No. 1 to Hop Luc commune, Thai Nguyen province. An investigation revealed that on 19/8, while on leave, Giap and Thang used a personal vehicle to transport the patient. Thiu, the nurse on duty, advised the family on additional service fees for the staff.
The investigation found that Giap collected 21 million VND, giving 4 million VND to Thiu as an extra fee and keeping 17 million VND. Giap later returned 16 million VND to the patient's family.
Based on the disciplinary board's findings, the hospital director fired Giap for unauthorized collection of transport fees and Thang for accepting payment exceeding the agreed amount. Thiu received a reprimand for violating regulations by negotiating unofficial service fees with the patient's family.
The incident began on 15/8, when Nguyen Anh Tuyet's father was admitted to Bac Ninh General Hospital No. 1 in critical condition. After four days in intensive care with no improvement, the family decided to take him home and requested transport assistance from the hospital.
Tuyet said that when she inquired about the cost, a doctor told her it would be "a few million VND," while the driver said, "We'll calculate it by kilometer when we arrive; don't worry, it won't be much." However, after the three-hour journey, the driver demanded 22 million VND, later reduced to 21 million VND (including 4 million VND for the accompanying doctor).
Tuyet's father passed away on 21/8. Relatives shared the exorbitant ambulance charge on social media, prompting the driver to return 15 million VND and an additional 1 million VND for incense offerings.
Thuy Quynh
