The assailant, Bàn Văn Vỹ, under custody— Photo tienphong.vn

NGHỆ AN — Police in central Việt Nam have arrested a man accused of stabbing five people, including nurses and relatives of newborn patients, in a frenzied attack inside a maternity and children’s hospital.

Authorities say Bàn Văn Vỹ, 29, from Bắc Ninh Province, was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly rampaging through the neonatal ward of Nghệ An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital on Thursday.

Investigators said Vỹ’s wife had given birth to premature twin girls at the hospital a week earlier. One of the babies required intensive care, and Vỹ – reportedly exhausted after several sleepless nights – became convinced that his child had been switched.

"After sleepless nights caring for my babies, my mind became unstable, and I acted on impulse, losing control," Vỹ told investigators.

Initial tests showed he had not used drugs and was not undergoing psychiatric treatment.

According to hospital staff, Vỹ entered a room in the neonatal unit around 10am, tried to strangle one newborn and then grabbed another, apparently intending to throw the infant from a balcony.

When a grandmother and nurse intervened, he stabbed them, then stormed into the nurses’ room and attacked three more staff members.

Nurse Nguyễn Thùy Trang suffered 11 stab wounds to her neck, chest and back, severing veins and arteries. Doctors said she survived thanks to emergency surgery.

Director Hà Anh Đức and a Ministry of Health delegation visit nurse Trang, who is being treated at Nghệ An General Friendship Hospital. — Photo nhandan.vn

Two other nurses and two relatives of patients were also injured, and two infants sustained minor abrasions.

Security guards eventually overpowered the assailant and handed him over to the police.

Hospital director Tăng Xuân Hải said Vỹ’s twins had been transferred to the National Children’s Hospital in Hà Nội for treatment of infection and premature birth complications.

All of the injured victims are now in stable condition.

He rejected the father’s claims that staff had neglected the babies.

"Our doctors fulfilled their duties," he said. "The accusation is baseless."

Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan has since awarded commendations to four nurses and the hospital’s neonatal department for "bravery in protecting patients during the incident."

Health officials called the attack one of the most serious cases of violence against medical staff in recent years and warned that similar incidents have been rising nationwide.

"This kind of assault is intolerable, no matter the circumstances," said Hà Anh Đức, Director of the Medical Services Administration.

"Hospitals are under immense pressure, but violence cannot be an outlet for grief or anger."

Đức said the Ministry of Health is reviewing hospital security systems, especially in high-stress areas such as emergency, neonatal and psychiatric wards, and will strengthen cooperation between hospitals and police to ensure rapid response and prevent similar attacks in the future.

The case remains under investigation, but for many across Việt Nam, the attack has reignited debate about the country’s strained healthcare system, and the psychological toll on both patients and medical workers in an environment where they often face tension and exhaustion. — VNS