Hospital director suspended following dialysis disaster in northern Vietnam

Authorities in the northern province of Hoa Binh suspended the director of the province's general hospital on August 9 following the deaths of eight patients in a dialysis disaster at the hospital in May.

Truong Quy Duong was found to have failed to fulfill his duties as the hospital's director, resulting in an accident involving 18 hemodialysis patients at Hoa Binh Province General Hospital on May 25, according to Hoa Binh's Department of Health.

As a result, the department has decided to suspend him for a year. Quach Thien Tuong, the hospital's deputy director, will serve as acting director until August next year.

On May 29, 18 patients were undergoing kidney dialysis treatment at the hospital, 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Hanoi.

After 45 minutes some reported nausea, abdominal pain and shortness of breath.

The hospital sent for help from Hanoi but it was too late for eight of the patients, who appeared to have died from anaphylactic shock. The remaining 10 patients were transferred to Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital where they made a full recovery from the incident.

Hoa Binh police quickly launched a criminal investigation, and concluded that the water used in the dialysis treatment was the cause of the incident as concentrations of fluoride in the water were up to 260 times above the permitted level.

Police have arrested Bui Manh Quoc, director of the Tram Anh Water Treatment Company, for manslaughter. Tran Van Son, a member of staff responsible for medical equipment at the hospital, and Hoang Cong Luong, a nephrology doctor, have been charged with medical malpractice.