Attracting and enticing patients right from the hospital gate
According to people's feedback, over the years, the situation of "brokers" operating publicly in the area in front of the gate of Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital has even shown signs of becoming increasingly sophisticated. Playing the role of a person who needs a skin examination, the reporter just stopped the car in front of the hospital gate and was immediately approached by a man.
This subject did not hesitate to introduce the "quick check-up, no waiting" service at a private clinic near the hospital. The price of the "taken-away" service is 30,000 VND. The man also confided firmly: "There is a doctor who was the head of the Dermatology Hospital Department and is now retired, treating all social diseases such as Syphilis, smuggling...".
When the reporter mentioned his desire to see a doctor at a public hospital, this person immediately tried to obstruct him: "The hospital is too crowded, not seeing a doctor costs a lot of money and you can't figure out how to get out of it!" the voice was both threatening and enticing.
When agreeing to the introduction, the reporter was taken to an address on Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District. Here, a man over 60 years old, claiming to be a "dermatologist", received and quickly diagnosed: acne on the hands.
This "doctor" immediately prescribed medicine and gave instructions for treatment within a month with the request to... get vaccinated. Worryingly, all the drugs distributed were contained in nylon bags, without any labels, instructions for use or manufacturer information.
When the reporter suggested not buying the medicine, the clinic staff showed an unpleasant attitude and forced them to collect 100,000 VND for medical examination.
There are still "brokers" in front of the hospital gate, it is not easy to eliminate them from the root
Despite implementing a series of solutions to prevent the situation of "brokers" Predating patients, Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital still records a number of subjects operating outside the hospital gate. According to Dr. Nguyen Vu Hoang - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital, this is a persistent problem that is difficult to completely handle due to many reasons from the psychology of patients to the sophistication of the target audience.
Every day, Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital receives about 2,000 - 2,200 visits, during the peak summer (July - August), the number can reach 3,000 patients. According to Dr. Hoang, the situation of storks inside the hospital is almost gone. However, in the area opposite the gate and neighboring intersections such as Nguyen Thong - Dien Bien Phu Street, there are still some subjects soliciting patients.
S well-off patients are not standing right in front of the hospital gate like before, but can still reach patients in surrounding areas. Especially those who come for the first time for examination, the elderly or from far away provinces, are easily deceived, said Dr. Hoang.
The crooked subjects often do not wear medical uniforms but eat harshly, easily making people mistakenly think they are hospital staff. Some people pretended to be familiar motorbike taxi drivers, stood near the hospital gate and gave false information such as "hospital today off for examination", "only examined health insurance", or "no doctors to examine the service" ... to lure patients to go see a doctor else.
To prevent rat pounce, the hospital has implemented many synchronous measures. On the organizers' side, the hospital always keeps the entrance and exit gates open, not allowing crowds to gather. Security cameras are installed around the hospital to support monitoring and coordinate with local police to handle when needed. The hospital's hotline, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health and the Ministry of Health are also widely publicized to receive feedback from patients.
Also related to this issue, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Minh Anh - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital said that, considering this a social phenomenon that has, is and will continue to exist. The cause comes from the needs of patients, they want to be resolved quickly, while the public health system sometimes does not meet that expectation. From there, the rat pounce became an illegal "intermediary" for stepping into the medical examination and treatment process.
"Our hospital's view is not to agree with this phenomenon. Internally, it can be affirmed that there is no longer any disease of passengers. However, outside the hospital, there are still some cases, although we have tried our best but still cannot completely eliminate them, Dr. Minh Anh emphasized.
The hospital is currently implementing many strong solutions. From the entrance, the security force strictly controlled. The hospital also closely coordinates with local police. If a suspect is found, they will coordinate to handle it because this is an area beyond the hospital's control.
At the same time, the hospital's leaders have a policy of strictly prohibiting all staff from taking family members or patients for home examination. Guidance support is assigned to the customer service department, to minimize the risk of "internal scams".
