(From left to right) Nguyễn Quốc Anh, Nguyễn Ngọc Hiền và Phạm Đức Tuấn. — Photo thanhnien.vn

HÀ NỘI — The former director of Bạch Mai Hospital and seven other people have been accused of price gouging medical equipment.

Police, under the Ministry of Public Security, want to prosecute the group over alleged ‘abuse of power and position’.

Nguyễn Quốc Anh was the director of the Hà Nội hospital when the alleged wrongdoings took place.

Also accused are Nguyễn Ngọc Hiền, former vice director of Bach Mai Hospital, Trịnh Thi Thuận and Lý Thị Ngọc Thủy, former chief accountant and deputy head of Finance at the hospital, Phạm Đức Tuấn and Ngô Thị Thu Huyền, director and deputy director of BMS Medical Technology Joint Stock Company (BMS), Trần Lê Hoàng, an appraiser from the Hanoi Valuation and Financial Services JSC (VFS) and Phạm Minh Dũng, former director general of VFS.

According to the investigation agency, the actions of former leaders of Bạch Mai Hospital and BMS as well as the appraisal unit, have resulted in an increase in the cost of medical examinations and treatment.

In July 2009, Anh was appointed Director of Bạch Mai Hospital. In order to enhance prestige for the hospital and increase income for health workers, Anh has set up specialised surgery departments.

It is alleged Tuấn met Anh to discuss providing a robotic system to the hospital with the price of VNĐ39 billion and VNĐ44 billion for two pieces of robotic equipment.

At the meeting, Anh is alleged to suggest that Tuấn create a joint venture project to install the devices at the hospital.

Tuan is accused of assigning his staff to work with Hoàng and Dũng from VFS to legalise the robot valuation certificate while Anh directed his subordinates to complete relevant documents

During the implementation process, Anh and some former staff members of the hospital did not comply with state regulations.

All eight people accused reached an agreement to issue an illegal valuation certificate determining that the price of one robot be VNĐ39 billion.

The suspects inflated the purchase price of the robot system to VNĐ39 billion (US$1.7 million) from its market value of VNĐ7.4 billion ($319,000).

The investigation agency concluded that Anh played the main role and the remaining suspects were his accomplices.

During the investigation, the accused were made aware of the criminal acts and have returned the money that they illegally appropriated.

Tuan has returned VNĐ10 billion while Anh handed in VNĐ100 million and US$10,000 and Hiền returned VNĐ150 million. — VNS