On 30/9, the Investigation Police Agency of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police announced the indictment of Truong Lam, 35, an ambulance driver, and Le Trong Hai Anh, 30, a student at Thanh Hoa Medical College, for property fraud.

The two suspects, Vo Dai Truong Lam (left) and Le Trong Hai Anh, at the investigating agency. Photo: Lam Son

According to the police, on 14/8, Nguyen Cong Khanh, the owner of an ambulance, accepted a job to transport a patient from the intensive care unit at Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital to Sam Son ward. Khanh assigned Lam to drive the vehicle.

Lam then contacted Hai Anh, who wore a lab coat and posed as a medical staff member, to join the transport.

Upon picking up the patient, Lam informed the family of the following costs: mot million VND for the vehicle, mot million VND per day for ventilator rental, 300.000 VND for phlegm suction machine rental, and ba million VND as a deposit for the ventilator and phlegm suction machine, totaling 5,3 million VND. Lam stated that the ba million VND deposit would be refunded when the family returned the equipment.

Hai Anh then advised the family to purchase a vasoconstrictor medication at 600.000 VND per vial. Trusting this advice, the family bought 7 vials. The total amount the family paid for the transport and medication was 9,5 million VND.

According to the investigating agency, the medication provided to the family was adrenaline, which has a market price of approximately 4.000 VND per vial. Thus, 7 vials of the drug would cost 28.000 VND but were charged at 4,2 million VND.

Investigators determined that Lam and Hai Anh, along with others involved, conspired and agreed on the collection and distribution of the money. After receiving payment from the patient's family, Lam transferred a portion to Khanh, and the remainder was divided among themselves.

The vasoconstrictor medication purchased by the family for 600.000 VND per vial. Photo: Screengrab from clip

The patient, a 58-year-old man, was admitted to Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital on 1/8 with septic shock, multi-organ failure, pneumonia, suspected acute pancreatitis, cerebral infarction, and type 2 diabetes.

After nearly hai weeks of treatment in Intensive Care Unit I - Toxicology, the patient's condition worsened, and the prognosis was unfavorable. Following discussions with doctors, the family decided to take him home for care.

Around 10h on 14/8, after using the ambulance service driven by Lam, the family suspected unusual fees, especially for the medication, and reported the incident on social media.

The ambulance transporting the patient to Sam Son on 14/8. Photo: Family provided

Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital confirmed that the ambulance and the individuals involved were not under its management; the revenue from the vehicle, equipment, and medication during the trip was also not a source of income for the hospital.

Following the incident, the Thanh Hoa Department of Health requested healthcare facilities to tighten patient transport operations, prevent soliciting or brokering patients, and stop the exploitation of hospital names or images for commercial services within their premises.

Le Hoang