Mục sở thị cơ sở chữa bách bệnh bằng cách ... uống nước
Thời gian gần đây, ở thị trấn Cầu Giát (huyện Quỳnh Lưu) xuất hiện người đàn ông tự giới thiệu có thể chữa được bệnh chỉ bằng cách uống nước ion kiềm. Tin lời, nhiều người đã kéo đến "điều trị nội trú" ngay tại nhà ông này, trong đó phần lớn là người mắc ung thư.
Đổ xô đi uống nước để chữa ung thư
Ngày 20/5, chỉ mới hơn 7h sáng, nhưng sân nhà của ông Bùi Văn Quang (60 tuổi) ở khối 9, thị trấn Cầu Giát (huyện Quỳnh Lưu), đã chật gần kín người, với đồ đạc lỉnh kỉnh để chuẩn bị cho hành trình “điều trị nội trú” ở đây. Kể từ khi ông Quang quảng cáo rầm rộ chữa được bệnh chỉ “bằng nước miễn phí”, hàng xóm ông cho biết, những ngày gần đây, lượng người tìm đến căn nhà này ngày càng đông.
“Chú cứ tìm hiểu xem sao, chứ riêng tôi thì tôi không tin. Chỉ biết gần đây người bệnh ra vào liên tục, khi nào trong nhà đó cũng có hàng chục người”, một hàng xóm của ông Quang nói.

Theo ghi nhận của phóng viên, bên trong sân nhà, gần như mọi ngóc ngách đều có người bệnh đang nằm vật vã, lộ rõ vẻ mệt mỏi, tiều tụy. Bên cạnh là những chiếc bình oxy 20 lít nằm ngổn ngang. Nhiều người bệnh đến từ tỉnh xa, có người ở tận Quảng Bình, có người thì ở Hà Tĩnh... Họ dường như nằm ở bất cứ đâu có thể ngã lưng ở trong mái hiên nhà ông Quang.
Nhiều người may mắn được nằm trên những chiếc giường xếp tiện lợi, người thì nằm chõng tre, khoảng 5 bệnh nhân thì lại được sắp xếp nghỉ trên những tấm gỗ kê tạm ngay sát bờ rào. Ngồi la liệt bên cạnh họ là những người thân đi cùng để chăm sóc. Điểm chung của những người bệnh này là bên cạnh đều có những ca nước lọc, được họ liên tục thi nhau uống lấy, uống để…. Không chỉ có bệnh nhân đang "điều trị nội trú", nhiều người khác cũng vừa tìm đến, không còn chỗ ngồi, phải lót dép, ngồi bệt dưới sân chờ đến lượt được gia chủ tư vấn.
Một bệnh nhân 42 tuổi đến từ huyện Tuyên Hóa (tỉnh Quảng Bình), cho biết đây đã là ngày thứ 28, bố con anh khăn gói đến ở trong nhà của ông Quang để được chữa bệnh bằng nước. Ông cho biết, bản thân mắc ung thư tuyến giáp giai đoạn cuối. Dù đã gần 1 tháng uống nước ở đây, không rõ sức khoẻ tiến triển hay chưa, nhưng người đàn ông này vẫn tin vào phương pháp chữa bệnh này. “Đây là do tôi sau khi phát hiện bệnh thì đã hóa trị mấy lần rồi, nên khi chuyển sang điều trị bằng cách này thì lâu hơn. Chứ nếu như phát hiện bệnh xong, không uống thuốc, không can thiệp gì mà đến đây điều trị thì chắc khỏi rồi. Hy vọng những ngày tới, các khối u của tôi sẽ hết”, bệnh nhân với khuôn mặt sầu não, cơ thể gầy nhom này nói.
Next to this person was a 62-year-old man from Ky Anh district (Ha Tinh province). He said that he had a tumor, and after a check-up, instead of receiving treatment at the hospital, his daughter-in-law brought him here to be treated with water. For three days at this house, he was not allowed to eat anything, only continuously drinking water from the homeowner's water filter. "Drinking so much water is very uncomfortable, but I have to try. I don't know if I'll be cured," he said.

Meanwhile, in a small room behind the house, Mr. Bui Van Quang was still busy "treating" many people. Because he was so busy, many patients had to queue. The reporter was greeted by his wife, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hoa, who explained the treatment method. Mrs. Hoa said that as long as the patient wasn't too weak and could still walk, they could bring them in for any illness, especially those who hadn't used Western medicine. "Coming here for treatment, they actually just drink fresh alkaline ionized water from my water filter. Patients don't eat anything; drinking this water doesn't make them hungry," Mrs. Hoa said, adding that each patient has to pay 200,000 VND per day, which covers hygiene, electricity, and water costs. Family members who accompany them, since they don't need to drink the alkaline ionized water, only have to pay 100,000 VND per day if they want to stay. This doesn't include the cost of renting beds, blankets, etc.
"If you have blankets or bedding, feel free to bring them along; otherwise, I'll rent them out. Many cancer patients were discharged yesterday. Some drank 8 to 10 liters of water like that every day. The more they drank, the faster they recovered," Mrs. Hoa said.

They locked the gate, trapping the inspection team inside.
Not only did he put up a sign advertising "healing with water" in front of his house, but on his personal Facebook account, Mr. Quang also frequently live-streamed images of many people he introduced as patients with severe, terminal cancer who had been discharged from hospitals. He then continuously boasted that these patients had recovered or experienced significant improvements in their health after following his "healing with water" method…
Mr. Quang stated that he learned the water-based healing method from Mr. Nguyen Tien Nam (residing in Binh Minh commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi), and then used it to treat people in need. He also admitted that his home healing practice was unregistered and not authorized by any agency.

Mr. Le Sy Thanh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cau Giat town, said that after learning about the situation, the local authorities instructed the town's police to summon Mr. Quang for questioning. At the meeting, Mr. Quang was unable to present any documents related to medical practice. According to Mr. Thanh, Mr. Quang had never worked in the medical field before; his only occupations were trading and construction.
On May 16th, the People's Committee of Cau Giat town established an inspection team, led by the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee, to inspect Mr. Quang's water-based medical treatment facility. "During the inspection and report-making process, Mr. Quang was not at home; only his wife and children were present. However, the family refused to cooperate with the inspection team. They also locked the gate, preventing the inspection team from leaving. Only later did the family agree to open the gate to let the team go," the report from the People's Committee of Cau Giat town stated, and also proposed that the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district establish an inter-agency inspection team to investigate and handle this case.

Regarding this treatment method, Dr. Nguyen Duc Phuc, Head of the Intensive Care Unit at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, affirmed that drinking too much regular water, such as filtered water or boiled and cooled water, in a day, even for healthy individuals, is very dangerous and can cause water intoxication such as generalized edema, pulmonary edema, blood dilution, hyponatremia, cerebral edema, coma, seizures, and death, not to mention using large quantities of alkaline water. Drinking too much alkaline water not only causes water overload but also alters the pH of the blood, leading to metabolic alkalosis.
“The body’s blood pH level remains stable at 7.35-7.45. This level allows many substances in the body to move and function, facilitating absorption and metabolism… When there are changes in blood pH, the body becomes disordered and harmful to health. Drinking too much alkaline water will increase the body’s pH, causing sensory disturbances, coma, hypokalemia, and potentially leading to cardiac arrhythmias, paralysis, and even death,” Dr. Phuc warned.
According to Dr. Nguyen Duc Phuc, when people suspect they have an illness, they should seek examination at specialized medical facilities; they should absolutely not arbitrarily drink excessive amounts of any kind of beverage to avoid endangering their health. Authorities also need to strengthen warnings, investigations, and strictly punish establishments that make false advertisements that endanger public health.
Previously, in Hanoi, many people were hospitalized in a coma or critical condition after being treated with this method. Notably, these people were hospitalized after being treated by Mr. Nguyen Tien Nam (Thanh Oai, Hanoi), Mr. Quang's mentor, by giving them alkaline water to drink.
Most recently, in mid-March 2025, a 67-year-old female patient with a goiter sought treatment from "traditional healer" Nguyen Tien Nam after learning about his methods.alkaline waterThrough a few people on Facebook, the patient was introduced to Mr. Nam, who promised a cure within 5 days at a cost of 200,000 VND per day. He instructed the patient to drink water from a water filter mixed with salt, commonly referred to as "alkaline water." The patient stayed at this "traditional healer's" house and began drinking the "alkaline water" on the evening of March 14th, while also fasting. During this time, the patient was instructed to drink the "alkaline water" whenever thirsty or hungry. By the morning of March 16th, the patient lost consciousness and was taken to Bach Mai Hospital in a coma, with a body temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, a heart rate continuously exceeding 170 beats per minute, liver damage, blood clotting disorders, hypernatremia, and an enlarged thyroid gland compressing the neck. Tests showed elevated thyroid hormones, and an ultrasound revealed diffuse goiter. This was a critical condition requiring intensive care; the patient was in the most severe, uncontrollable state, with a high risk of death...
Tien Hung