The Hanoi-based Maria General Clinic, where a 34-year-old woman died after treatment last week, continued giving consultancy to patients despite being suspended, local health authorities said.

Many people flocked to Maria General Clinic after the death of Nguyen Thi Thu Phong on July 14 , Photo: Dan Tri

The Chinese clinic, located at 65-67 Thai Thinh Street, Dong Da District, has been suspended by the Hanoi Health Department from July 16, two days after Nguyen Thi Thu Phong died after she were treated there.

At 5 pm Tuesday, two police officers and an inspection team led by deputy chief inspector of the local Health Department Dang Thi Hoa arrived at the clinic and found a group of pregnant women, along with several men, stepping out from a lift.

Dr Nguyen Quang Cu, a staff member who was on duty there, told the inspectors that the members of the group were employees who came to take their belongings out.

But a man in the group told the team that he had taken his pregnant wife to the clinic for examination.

Tuoi Tre correspondents, who accompanied the team, found many people in civilian clothes on the 7th floor of the clinic. A clinic employee was heard on the phone saying: “Destroy all patients’ records. They [inspectors] have come for an inspection.”

In an aggressive manner and attitude, Cu told the correspondents that he was here to show “the feelings of a doctor towards patients.”

Before going to the clinic, Tuoi Tre had called the clinic asking for an examination of men’s diseases and was told, “Please come soon!”

A notice that reads "business closed for repair" is seen at the clinic's door, but in fact it has still dealt with patients (Photo: VnExpress)

Many patients also told Tuoi Tre that they had called the clinic and were informed that the clinic was still operating as normal.

Some local residents also said the clinic received patients on July 16, the day its suspension began.

Deputy chief inspector Hoa said the Health Department would strictly punish the clinic if it continues receiving and consulting patients in any way.

Five Chinese nationals

The head of the Health Ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department, Luong Ngoc Khue, yesterday told Tuoi Tre that the agency has so far this year granted practitioner’s licenses to 12 Chinese doctors, including nine in Hanoi, two in Ho Chi Minh City, and one in Kon Tum Province.

None of the licensed doctors has worked for this clinic, Khue said.

The Hanoi Health Department earlier said two Chinese nationals have been licensed to work as domestic helps in the clinic, but after Phong came for treatment she had been examined and treated by three Chinese “doctors” before her death.

An advertisement of the clinic recently seen on a TV channel (Photo: VietNamNet)

As previously reported, four Chinese “doctors” involved in Phong’s death have been banned from leaving Vietnam, since they fled after the incident.

The four Chinese nationals, who are reported to be doctors, include Zhou Ji Anjao, male, 51, Deng Qin Zhi, female, 35, Zhang Ling Gong, male, 27, and Dong Chang Rui, male, 39.

Besides these people, the clinic has employed another Chinese national, who has returned to China on annual leave.

This situation raised the question of whether these five Chinese nationals have been granted practitioner’s licenses, and if they have, who licensed them.

Source: Tuoi Tre