Hải Phòng City Police Investigation Agency has initiated legal proceedings against 19 suspects on charges of extortion and tax evasion at Phượng Đỏ General Clinic in Hải Phòng. — Photo courtesy of the Hải Phòng City Police

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has asked local authorities to establish special teams to conduct comprehensive unannounced inspections of private healthcare facilities.

The teams also will strictly deal with abuses of diagnostic tests and procedures, as well as practices involving the fabrication of illnesses to extract money from patients.

According to the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration, management, inspection and supervision activities, along with reports from the media and members of the public, have revealed continued violations of legal regulations at a number of private healthcare facilities, particularly general clinics.

Most recently, the Hải Phòng City Police Investigation Agency initiated legal proceedings against 19 suspects at Phượng Đỏ General Clinic to investigate alleged violations of regulations in medical activities, including signs of fraud and practices of fabricating illnesses to extract money from patients.

The case has caused public concern and seriously affected patients' health and property.

To restore discipline and ensure patient safety and rights, the department has asked the departments of Health of centrally-run cities and provinces to urgently strengthen inspections.

In particular, inspection teams should be established to conduct comprehensive unannounced inspections of private medical examination and treatment facilities within their jurisdictions, with particular attention paid to facilities that have frequently been the subject of complaints or petitions from members of the public.

Violations in medical examination and treatment activities must be dealt with strictly.

Additional penalties should also be imposed, including revoking the right to use operating licences and practising certificates in cases where facilities or individuals violate the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, practise beyond their licensed scope of expertise, abuse diagnostic tests and procedures, fabricate illnesses to extract money from patients, or put patients' lives at risk.

If facilities or individuals are found to show signs of criminal offences, the cases must be promptly transferred to the police for investigation and handling in accordance with the law.

At the same time, authorities should make public the names of healthcare facilities found to have committed violations, as well as those suspended or stripped of their operating licences, so that people can make informed choices about safe healthcare providers and participate in monitoring them. — VNS