Families of 8 patients who died in Hoa Binh want compensation resolved quickly

On May 7, the People's Court of Hoa Binh City opened the first instance trial of three defendants related to the dialysis incident that killed eight patients. However, after two hours of procedural work, the panel of judges adjourned the trial due to the absence of nine lawyers for the three defendants.

As one of the first to arrive at court, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu (64 years old, mother of the youngest victim) said she only hoped to witness a "transparent and fair" trial. When the panel of judges announced that the trial would resume next week, Ms. Thu hugged her daughter's portrait tightly, sat down in the corner of the courtroom, and sobbed.

She said her family was “exhausted” after a year had passed without any resolution to the compensation issue. She had only received 10 million VND from the Hoa Binh General Hospital. Four subsequent conversations with hospital leaders were unsuccessful.

Ms. Thu was upset that the compensation had not been completed, the responsibilities of the parties involved were unclear, and the representative of Hoa Binh Hospital was absent from the trial. She said that this was “deliberately avoiding responsibility.”

For Mrs. Thu, the hemodialysis area of ​​Hoa Binh General Hospital is like a second home as her daughter has been undergoing dialysis here for nearly ten years. Therefore, she admits that she “understands the doctors and the dialysis process here quite well”, especially Dr. Hoang Cong Luong.

“I think the responsibility lies with those who manage and repair the water filtration system that leaves behind large amounts of chemical residue, not Dr. Luong,” she said.

Standing in the corner of the court yard, Ms. Bui Thi Tien (47 years old) traveled more than 70km to the trial with the hope of having a "fair confrontation with the leaders of Hoa Binh General Hospital" to demand justice for her husband. However, she was disappointed and had to "return empty-handed".

Recalling the kidney dialysis accident that happened more than 300 days ago, Ms. Tien said, “It was the most terrible day of my life.” However, she and many relatives of other victims blamed the doctors. “I always want to thank the doctors who devoted themselves to their patients,” she said.

Like many other relatives of the victims, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet wore a black shirt and a mourning card to her chest to the court hearing. She hoped the trial would end quickly to put an end to the lingering pain.

Regarding the compensation, Ms. Tuyet also said that the hospital is "deliberately avoiding it".

Mr. Le Xuan Hoang, Director of Hoa Binh General Hospital, said that this morning the hospital representative did not come to court because the lawyer had submitted a request to the court to postpone the trial.

Because ofThe hospital and the patient’s family have not yet reached a final agreement on compensation after the accident, the hospital will wait for the court’s decision. In this case, the hospital participates as a civil defendant.

According to the indictment, on the morning of May 29, 2017, when 18 patients were undergoing dialysis here, they suddenly showed signs of abnormality. 8 people died one after another.

Defendants Hoang Cong Luong (32 years old, intensive care doctor at Hoa Binh General Hospital) and Tran Van Son (28 years old, staff of the supplies department) were prosecuted for the crime of Lack of responsibility causing serious consequences. Bui Manh Quoc (32 years old, former director of Tram Anh Water Treatment Company Ltd.) was prosecuted for the crime of Involuntary manslaughter.

Regarding civil matters, the families of the eight deceased victims requested compensation of over one billion VND for burial expenses. In addition, these families also requested civil compensation, child support, and repayment of policy bank debts, etc., according to the provisions of the law.

The trial reopened on the morning of May 15.