Local public opinion is concerned about Mr. Ngo Ngoc Toan being reappointed as Director of the Traditional Medicine Hospital (TMH) of Quang Nam province despite many violations.
At the end of 2024, the Quang Nam Provincial Inspectorate issued an inspection conclusion, pointing out a series of violations: Director Ngo Ngoc Toan rented his own practice license to stand in his name for the hospital, earning 5 million VND/month. Mr. Toan "divided" many bid packages worth less than 100 million VND to designate contractors, instead of combining them into 1 bid package worth over 100 million VND to shorten the competitive bidding. The hospital bought 3,000 tubes of medicine but only used 82 tubes, the remaining 2,900 tubes had to be discarded because they were expired, causing waste and economic losses.
Quang Nam Provincial Inspectorate determined that the amount of violations and improper spending at the Traditional Medicine Hospital was more than 673 million VND.
On January 10, responding to the press about Mr. Ngo Ngoc Toan being reappointed as Director of the Traditional Medicine Hospital despite the fact that the Provincial Inspectorate had pointed out a series of violations, Quang Nam Chairman Le Van Dung said that this was a decision to solve the immediate difficulties of the hospital.
The difficulty is that, according to the leaders of Quang Nam, the provincial Traditional Medicine Hospital has been in a state of stagnation for the past 2 years, causing workers to suffer and have their salaries owed. Therefore, the province agreed to re-appoint Mr. Toan to address the needs of the majority of workers. The main purpose is to stabilize the hospital situation, attract patients and find a source of salary payment. If Mr. Toan were to retire, there would be no one to run it.
The reason that Chairman Le Van Dung gave for reappointing Mr. Ngo Ngoc Toan as Director of the Traditional Medicine Hospital is not convincing. Because, not to mention Mr. Toan's personal mistakes, the hospital's shortcomings such as having no patients and owing workers' salaries for many years are due to the director's management ability.
How can a director who lets the hospital decline like this be trusted to be reappointed?
The reason "if Mr. Toan is fired, there will be no one to run it" is also not convincing. Is there no one in Quang Nam province capable of being the Director of the Traditional Medicine Hospital?
If there are no good people, or if there are but no one wants to rush into a place that is very difficult and owes workers wages, then Mr. Ngo Ngoc Toan can be reappointed but there must be a deadline to complete the task in the "ultimatum".
Chairman Le Van Dung said: "If the reappointment is still chaotic, the internal situation is not good, and the employees there do not agree, then Mr. Toan will be transferred to another place." Such determination is right, but what month, what year must it be resolved?
