Trương Quang Việt (left), deputy director of Hà Nội Heart Hospital has been appointed deputy director in charge of managing the Hà Nội’s Centre for Disease Control (Hà Nội CDC). — Photo courtesy of Hà Nội CDC

HÀ NỘI — Trương Quang Việt, deputy director of Hà Nội Heart Hospital has been appointed as deputy director in charge of managing the Hà Nội’s Centre for Disease Control (Hà Nội CDC).

He will take the post over the next five years while pending the appointment of a new director.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the new deputy director pledged to work with its managers and staff to overcome difficulties and to fulfil all the assigned tasks.

Earlier in April, Nguyễn Nhật Cảm, former director of the Hà Nội CDC and six others were arrested for over alleged wrongdoings in purchasing COVID-19 diagnostic equipment.

They have been accused of violating regulations of the law on bidding causing serious losses to the State. Initial investigation revealed that Cảm and the six others colluded to raise the price of the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machines, used in testing for the novel coronavirus, by up to three times.

Since the arrests, Hoàng Đức Hạnh, Deputy Director of Hà Nội Department of Health, temporarily managed the activities of Hà Nội CDC.

Hà Nội CDC is responsible for planning, directing and carrying out professional activities in preventive medicine in the city. It aims to reduce the number of infected cases and deaths due to epidemics, contagious and non-communicable diseases. It also targets minimising the economic impact, health and time spent caused by epidemics through the deployment of preventive activities.

The centre also takes the main task in COVID-19 prevention in Hà Nội including screening, testing, giving warnings and providing information on infected cases. — VNS