Nghe An Department of Health identifies some problems at Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital

Patients report hospital cheating customers

On May 25, 2022, Mr. L.D.T (born in 1978, residing in Dien Xuan commune, Dien Chau district, Nghe An) sent a complaint to the Nghe An Department of Health Inspectorate about Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital, located at 999, Lenin Avenue, Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh city, Nghe An "deceiving customers about prices, exchanging goods, goods of unknown origin" after he had artificial lens replacement surgery here.

According to Mr. L.D.T's report: On April 26, 2022, Mr. T went to Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital for examination to perform artificial lens replacement surgery. After being examined by Dr. Nguyen Phi Thuong, Mr. T was instructed to meet Dr. Hoang Trung Kien (Hospital Director) for consultation on products to treat his left eye.

Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital is located at 999 Lenin Avenue, Ha Huy Tap Ward, Vinh City; was first granted a license to operate medical examination and treatment by the Ministry of Health in 2010 and re-issued in 2019. Photo: Thanh Chung

Mr. T was advised by Dr. Kien to use a multifocal eye (better than the right eye that Mr. T had previously replaced, also multifocal) - the best product in the world with a price of 49 million VND, minus health insurance, the remaining 33 million VND.

On May 7, Mr. L.D.T went to Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital for surgery. Before the surgery, Mr. T asked to see the product, but Dr. Thuong explained that the goods were on the way so he could not see them yet, and promised to send the product packaging after the surgery.

At around 11am the same day, the surgery was completed. Mr. T looked at the receipt and saw that the amount was 40,640,517. After deducting insurance, the amount to be paid was more than 33 million VND. Mr. T wondered why when he was advised that the product price was 49 million, but when he wrote the receipt, it was more than 40 million VND.

Then, while waiting to get the paperwork, Dr. Manh called all the patients who had surgery in the morning to come back for a check-up to complete the procedures to go home. All the patients had good results, except Mr. T who was shocked when Dr. Manh said: "Why didn't you replace the multifocal eye like the right eye but replaced it with a monofocal one?" Because he had chosen to replace the eye with a multifocal one, Mr. T asked to be re-examined and Dr. Manh still confirmed that it was a monofocal eye.

Immediately after that, Mr. T used his phone to scan the QR code on the product packaging that he had just replaced, but the information did not appear. At the same time, Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital could not explain why the QR code on the product packaging did not appear.

On May 13, 2022, Mr. T went to Nghe An Eye Hospital for a check-up. Here, the doctor at Nghe An Eye Hospital confirmed that the left eye he had just replaced was monofocal. “After the check-up at Nghe An Eye Hospital, I was very confused, unable to eat or sleep. I was so upset that I had to file a complaint with the authorities,” Mr. T said.

Also according to Mr. L.D.T's complaint: Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital confirmed that the left eye is multifocal and that Dr. Manh is an intern so he made a mistake. As for the QR code, the hospital is still working with the supplier.

Authorities determined: The hospital has some problems.

Upon receiving the citizen's report, on June 9, 2022, the Director of Nghe An Department of Health issued Decision No. 993/QD-SYT on verifying the citizen's feedback and recommendations to Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital; issued Official Dispatch No. 2364/SYT-TTR requesting Nghe An Eye Hospital to establish a Professional Advisory Group to determine whether the artificial lens placed in the left eye of patient L.D.T is monofocal or multifocal.

On July 5, 2022, Nghe An Department of Health issued Conclusion No. 2663/KL-SYT concluding the content of the reflection and recommendation to Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital. The conclusion clearly stated: Patient L.D.T had artificial lens replacement surgery according to the hospital's Mini Ready phaco service package in accordance with the technical service process issued by the hospital, the type of artificial lens used was Mini Well Ready.

Regarding the results of barcode verification, origin, and source of artificial lenses: According to information from the supplier, Mini Well Ready is a type of focal length lens that helps patients see clearly at different distances. According to the product's import information, this is a multifocal lens used in surgery. Mini Well Ready artificial lenses have origin, source, and can be barcoded.

According to the product's import information, this is a multifocal lens used in surgery. The Mini Well Ready artificial lens has a source, origin and can be barcoded. Photo: Thanh Chung

Through clinical and paraclinical examination results, comparing the product information provided by the company shows that the artificial lens placed in the patient's left eye has a morphology that matches the Mini Well Ready artificial lens.

Regarding the issuance of prices for medical examination and treatment services, Nghe An Department of Health confirmed that Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital has built a price structure for the Phaco Mini Well Ready surgery package and publicly announced medical service prices. However, the consultation and public announcement of medical service prices are not clear, detailed, or specific, causing patients to misunderstand.

At the same time, the hospital wrote a receipt for the patient's hospital fee with the name of the multifocal Phaco Mini Well Ready service, which is not listed in the technical services according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health. Some supplies that are included in the surgery package such as Curagel mucus solution are still charged to the patient, which is inappropriate.

Through this incident, it can be seen that Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital still has many shortcomings that need to be overcome. Therefore, Nghe An Department of Health requests Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital to review and adjust the names of technical packages in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health; review and develop a specific, detailed, legal service package price structure; develop specific, complete, and clear consultation content on prices, replacement materials, tests, examination fees, etc. for each surgical package; publicly list prices according to regulations; provide specific, complete, and clear consultation on technical package prices.

At the same time, the Department of Health also requested Saigon - Vinh Eye Hospital to strengthen the management of medical staff studying at the hospital in accordance with regulations; not to allow doctors who are not supposed to examine patients at the hospital to examine patients; and to avoid making inaccurate statements that cause confusion for patients./.

Thanh Chung