The case of falsely declaring laser lithotripsy services at the Central Highlands General Hospital: Prosecution and temporary detention of 2 department heads

On September 22, the Dak Lak Provincial Police Investigation Agency conducted legal proceedings, initiated criminal proceedings, prosecuted the accused and applied temporary detention measures against Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoang, Head of the Department of Nephrology and Urology, and Mr. Bui Ngoc Duc, Head of the Department of Surgery and Anesthesia and Resuscitation, for the crime of "Abusing position and power while performing official duties", as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 356 of the Penal Code.

Initial investigation results determined that, between March 28, 2024 and May 15, 2024 and from May 28, 2024 to December 31, 2024, at the Central Highlands General Hospital, the laser lithotripsy machine was broken and could not be used.

However, Mr. Hoang and Mr. Duc still performed the endoscopic lithotripsy procedure incorrectly, and recorded that over 255 medical records had used the laser lithotripsy technique.

The investigation agency proceeded to serve the decisions to prosecute and temporarily detain two doctors related to the case of falsely declaring laser lithotripsy services at the Central Highlands General Hospital.

Of these, 235 cases were covered by health insurance and were paid VND273,924,150 by Dak Lak Provincial Social Insurance, with the patient co-paying an additional VND33,153,450. The remaining 20 cases were not covered by insurance, and the patient had to pay VND25,940,000 himself. The hospital also paid for the surgery and procedure for 255 cases, totaling VND60,324,000.

The actions of the two defendants caused damage to the health insurance fund in the amount of VND 273,924,150, damage to patients' property in the amount of VND 59,093,450, and seriously affected the reputation of the Central Highlands General Hospital, infringed on the rights and health of patients and caused public outrage.

Currently, the Dak Lak Provincial Police Investigation Agency is continuing to expand the investigation, clarifying the behavior of related individuals to strictly handle them according to the provisions of law.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/phap-luat/202509/vu-viec-ke-khong-dich-vu-tan-soi-laser-tai-benh-vien-da-khoa-vung-tay-nguyen-khoi-to-bat-tam-giam-2-truong-khoa-7241700/