Vietnam Bach Mai Hospital Punishes Staff Related to Medical Waste Scandal

Bach Mai Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in Vietnam’s Hanoi capital city, has come up with fines and punishments for all personnel related to a recent medical waste scandal in which the waste was recycled instead of getting disposed. At a press conference on Jan 12, the hospital publicly announced the punishments for all staff related to the scandal. Accordingly, Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung will receive no raise in salary in the next six months and will not be qualified for any bonus in 2016. The same punishment is applied for Nguyen Huy Nam and Vuong Thanh Thuy, staffs of the Infection Control Ward. Two other staffs of the ward, Nguyen Van Tuan and Do Thi Bich Ha, will be fired immediately. The move came after an investigative article of the Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper published last Thursday [Jan 7] revealed that the hazardous medical waste of the hospital is not treated per regulations. The waste has been hastily handled by a group of hospital workers and later transferred to recycling warehouses in the city. The Health Environment Management Department of the Ministry of Health has asked Bach Mai Hospital, considered one of the top central hospitals in the city and the country, to clarify the information and report back. Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung, head of the Infection Control Ward of the Bach Mai Hospital, who is in charge of the medical waste, acknowledged the information to be true. (baophapluat.vn Jan 13)