The trick of "luring" patients to go out for services by doctors at the Central Eye Hospital

While hospitals are "unleashed", actively bidding to purchase, equip, and supplement medical supplies to serve patients, at the Central Eye Hospital (Hanoi), doctors are still constantly talking about the hospital's lack of supplies and machinery, and the ultimate goal is to send patients to private medical facilities for services.

The note of the doctor at the Central Eye Hospital referring the patient to a private hospital for surgery. Photo: Lao Dong reporter

The clinic does not have an Ophthalmology department but still takes X-rays of eye patients.

As Lao Dong Newspaper reported in the previous issue, after many days of recording, the group of reporters witnessed many patients coming to the Central Eye Hospital for examination. Although they registered for services at the public hospital, the doctors there all directed them to private clinics or hospitals to perform X-rays or surgery at expensive costs.

Most patients will "comply" when doctors prescribe them to go to private clinics or hospitals outside. The reason doctors tell patients is that the hospital lacks medical equipment and supplies, so they cannot perform X-rays or surgeries. However, is that really true?

This is even more absurd, when Resolution 30 and Decree 07, along with many directives and instructions from the Ministry of Health on resolving the shortage of drugs, equipment and medical supplies, were issued more than a month ago.

While hospitals are "unleashed", actively bidding to purchase, equip, and supplement supplies to serve patients, at the Central Eye Hospital, doctors are still constantly talking about the hospital's lack of supplies and machinery, and the ultimate goal is to send patients to private medical facilities for services.

This absurdity, along with many days of witnessing the hardships of the patients, urged the group of reporters to find answers. We continued to follow the patients from the Central Eye Hospital to clinics and private hospitals for imaging and surgery as prescribed or recommended by the doctors.

It can be seen that the fact that patients of the Central Eye Hospital are regularly referred to Vietlife Clinic (located at 14 Tran Binh Trong Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi ) for technical services is familiar to every medical staff here.

When asked why a family member went to the Central Eye Hospital for an examination but had to go to a clinic for an MRI scan, a medical staff member of Vietlife clinic said: "The price of the scan here is the same as the hospital's, but the quality is even better. The results of our scan are accepted, so the doctor (reporter) will order it. There must be a reason for the order. The doctor orders the patient to come here."

Vietlife clinic medical staff said that because of the good service, doctors only refer patients here. Photo: Lao Dong reporter

Another staff member of Vietlife clinic shared: "If the doctor at the Central Eye Hospital orders an MRI scan for a patient, just let us know so we can arrange a schedule and make an appointment. Our clinic does not have an Ophthalmology department, so we must have a doctor there to order the scan for the patient."

According to this medical staff, in addition to the Central Eye Hospital, many doctors from several large hospitals also refer patients to this clinic for MRI scans. "Large hospitals may have machines but are overloaded with patients," said this staff.

Medical staff of Vietlife clinic. Photo: Lao Dong reporter

In the medical records of patients who are assigned to have an MRI scan at Vietlife Clinic, the doctor writes the name and address of the clinic so that patients can easily find it. At the same time, the doctor signs, writes the name and phone number very clearly below.

Skillfully refer patients to outside medical facilities for surgery.

Not only X-rays, many patients who were assigned "high-level" technical services such as eye surgery were also cleverly transferred outside by doctors at the Central Eye Hospital. The reason was the same: the hospital was lacking medical equipment and supplies so it could not perform surgery. Patients who wanted to have surgery quickly had to go outside. The destination this time was a famous private hospital in the field of Ophthalmology - Hong Son Eye Hospital.

"My father went to the Central Eye Hospital for a check-up. He had a retinal detachment with a tear and cataract in his right eye, but after the examination, the doctor at clinic 307 said that the hospital did not have the medicine or supplies for surgery, they had run out a long time ago. Then they introduced us to the Hong Son Eye Hospital for surgery and wrote down the address and phone number of the surgeon," said a relative of patient NBT (86 years old) in Chi Linh, Hai Duong.

On the back of the examination result paper of patient NBT at the Central Eye Hospital are several lines of the doctor's note clearly stating the address of Hong Son Eye Hospital, the name and phone number of doctor H (the person who will perform the surgery for the patient at Hong Son Eye Hospital). The family only needs to follow that address to schedule the surgery.

Any doctor who refers the patient to a private hospital will perform the surgery directly.

The reporter pretended to be a patient's family member to find out more. When the patient's family asked about the doctor who would perform the surgery, the receptionist at Hong Son Eye Hospital (address: 709 Giai Phong, Hoang Mai, Hanoi) did not need to look at the patient's medical records or papers but immediately asked: "Which doctor did you see?". After being told it was Doctor H, the staff immediately confirmed: "Doctor H is the one who will perform the surgery. If Doctor H examines you, then Doctor H will perform the surgery. You cannot schedule an appointment with other doctors."

Hong Son Hospital staff confirmed that any doctor from the Central Eye Hospital who examines will be the one to directly operate on patients at Hong Son Eye Hospital, and that they cannot request another doctor to operate. Photo: Lao Dong reporter

This employee also revealed: "Which doctor's patient will be the one who will perform the surgery. If a patient there (Central Eye Hospital - PV) sees a doctor and needs surgery and agrees to have surgery, that doctor will transfer the patient's information here. At the Central Eye Hospital, most doctors like Dr. H will perform surgery outside because the hospital lacks supplies."

According to the reporter's investigation, on the website of Hong Son Eye Hospital, the Deputy Director of Central Eye Hospital Cung Hong Son is introduced as an expert in examination and treatment outside of office hours at this hospital.

Article 37 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment stipulates 7 professional obligations of medical staff. It clearly states that medical staff are not allowed to prescribe, prescribe medical examination and treatment services, or suggest transferring patients to other medical examination and treatment facilities for personal gain. However, despite the provisions of the law, many doctors are taking advantage of their work to refer patients to non-public medical facilities to use services.

This situation not only affects patients, causing them to have to work hard, run around to many medical facilities, and spend more money on medical care, but also greatly affects the hospital's medical examination and treatment activities.

Speaking to Lao Dong reporters, an expert in the medical field affirmed: "If a public hospital doctor prescribes technical services for a patient to go to an outside clinic, it is not allowed. The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment prohibits this. In addition, documents from the Ministry of Health also stipulate that hospitals also have their own regulations. If a patient goes outside to perform other medical services, it is mandatory to have a consultation and a transfer paper to perform technical services at another medical examination and treatment facility. Normally, those facilities will have a medical examination and treatment contract with the hospital."

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