After many cases, especially the case of Phuong Do International General Clinic in Hai Phong being investigated with signs of fraud, "inventing diseases, extorting money", on September 9, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) issued an urgent document to the Departments of Health of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government and non-public medical examination and treatment facilities, requesting to strengthen inspection and rectification of private medical examination and treatment activities.
According to this document, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the establishment or related individuals may be deprived of the right to use the operating license and professional certificate. In case there are signs of crime, the file must be transferred to the police agency for investigation and handling.
These are necessary measures, because "drawing diseases, extorting money" is an act of taking advantage of the lack of understanding and anxiety of patients to profit.
People who enter the clinic are often in a weak position. They do not have enough professional knowledge to know if they really need to have tests, procedures or use the prescribed medication.
Due to health concerns, many people have to accept paying, even when the amount exceeds their ability.
The consequence is not only losing money. Unnecessary prescriptions can also cause health damage, slow down opportunities to access appropriate treatment methods and make patients lose faith in the team of doctors.
But opening inspections only after a serious incident is discovered is not enough.
An establishment that is frequently complained about by people, advertised excessively, constantly changes its name, the person in charge of expertise or shows signs of prescribing abnormal tests and procedures must be put under special supervision by the health management agency.
And these data can be completely compiled to identify risks and organize unannounced, unannounced inspections.
The list of establishments sanctioned, suspended or whose licenses are revoked also needs to be publicly available at an easily found, easily searchable and frequently updated address.
People must know what violations that medical facility committed, which service was suspended, for how long, and whether it has met the conditions to resume operation or not.
Notably, the urgent document of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management also clearly states that Directors of Departments of Health in localities will be responsible if medical examination and treatment facilities in the area violate for a long time without being thoroughly handled.
Meaning, in the future, not only violating establishments will be handled, but the head of the local health management agency will also be held responsible for slow inspection, handling or lack of supervision after penalties.
This regulation, if strictly implemented, without forbidden zones, will certainly contribute to overcoming the situation where clinics are complained about many times but still continue to operate, even re-offend.
Private healthcare is contributing to expanding the choice of medical examination and treatment and reducing the burden on public hospitals. Tightening management is not to cause difficulties for this area, but to protect patients and legitimate businesses.
To do so, management must go one step ahead of violations. It is not possible to let a clinic earn money from patients' worries for a long time and then only be discovered when there are too many victims who have lost money and suffered.
