A series of costly pieces of equipment at the Dak Nong General Hospital in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region has been left unused, causing a waste of tens of billions dong. VND10 billion = US$465,100.

Some of the facilities became unusable right after installation, according to the results of an inspection at the hospital by the State Inspection Department of Dak Nong Province.

The report pointed out a series of wrongdoings in management, investment and construction of the hospital.

The hospital director, Nguyen Manh Cuong, is blamed for the serious violations of state regulations in the purchase of state-owned equipment during the 2005-2011 period.

However, the report by the provincial inspectors didn’t clarify if the wrongdoings were involved in the self interest of individuals in power.

Became unusable right after installation

On March 19, Tuoi Tre journalists saw that all medical staffs, patients and relatives of patients had to move between floors on the stairs since the elevators had stopped working for technical problems.

“Patients under emergency aid or after an operation and pregnant women were carried by stretchers along the stairs, which are unusable for wheelchairs,” complained a staff in charge of anaesthetics at the hospital.

Many doctors confirmed that several elevators became unusable right after being put into operation in July of 2010, while the remaining elevators stopped working six months after that.

The elevators, worth over VND6.9 billion (US$321,000), were manufactured in Taiwan and installed by Ban Mai Company, based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Another problem came from the oxygen producing system installed at a cost of over VND8.1 billion (US$377,000). It hasn’t worked since October of 2013 due to a shortage of qualified zeolites, a material used by oxygen generators.

Ngo Minh Truc, director of the Health Department of Dak Nong, admitted most hospitals now used liquefied oxygen systems, which cost less and are safer than the one at Dak Nong Hospital.

“We can’t understand why the management board of Dak Nong Hospital selected such an outdated system at an expensive cost,” Truc noted. “Leaders of the health department were not informed of the purchase of the equipment.”

In addition, director Cuong, who has been on sick leave since 2013, spent over VND565 million (US$26,300) to install computer software for the management of the hospital, but it was also unusable.

He signed a deal with Thinh Quang informatics services company to install the software at a total price of VND6.6 billion ($307,000).

The hospital discovered that the software of the company, based in Buon Ma Thuot, failed to meet their requirements and decided to use another one. However, Thinh Quang has not returned the deposit.

Investment

Medical facilities at the Dak Nong Hospital were purchased through an ODA fund of US$5.6 million to purchase 871 categories of machines and equipment.

A report by inspectors showed that the facilities produce a working capacity of 61 percent. Those that often have technical problems reach ten percent, and the remaining are left in a warehouse.

Doctor Ngo Thi Kim Hong, deputy director of Dak Nong Hospital, admitted she has faced great difficulties in asking for more investment to replace the problematic equipment because of the wrongdoings of leaders of previous terms.

“It costs the hospital nearly VND5 billion [$232,600] to replace the elevators or VND800 million [$37,200] to repair the old ones with just a year warranty.

“It needs an addition of VND700 million [$32,600] to repair the current software.

“In short, the hospital needs nearly VND10.8 billion [$502,300] to repair the current problems,” said Truc.

Director Cuong led the hospital into its current situation through his lack of transparency in the purchase of equipment and the recruitment of staffs, confirmed Truc.

Before, the provincial health department assigned Cuong to take over the purchase of equipment for the hospital, Truc confirmed.

Cuong is now under treatment at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and leaders of Dak Nong Province are waiting for his recovery to process the issue.

Earlier, managers of Dak Nong Hospital signed an agreement on ten construction packages for the hospital even though they failed to meet design standards.