The Vietnamese health authorities have issued a new regulation under which only health workers with practitioner’s certificates are eligible to take part in charitable medical examination and treatment in Vietnam.

>> Vietnam’s NGO faces inspection after deaths of 3 babies in failed surgeries>> Anesthetic might have killed 3 Vietnamese babies before free surgeries: doctor>> NGO asked to suspend surgery activities after 3 babies died in failed operations >> 2 infants die after anesthetization for free cleft lip surgery in Vietnam The new rule is included in Circular 30/2014/TT-BYT issued by the Ministry of Health to provide new regulations to strengthen the management of humanitarian medical examination and treatment activities. The new circular will take effect on October 15, 2014 and is applied to all domestic and foreign individual or organizations that provide humanitarian medical examination and treatment services in Vietnam.  Under the new rule, all people who directly take part in charitable medical examination and treatment – including doctors, nurses and even persons who deliver medicines to patients –  must have practitioner’s certificates granted by the health ministry or health departments in provinces and cities.  These people are also required to get written approval of the People’s Committees of the locality where they or their organizations want to offer charitable medical services to patients. Places where humanitarian medical examination and treatment take place must be equipped with necessary medical equipment and facilities. Within 10 business days after ending a charitable medical service program, individuals or organizations that have conducted the program must report the outcome of the program to the health ministry or local health departments, or the agencies that granted licenses for such individuals or organizations to conduct their programs. The circular came following the deaths of three babies between August 23 and 25 at Khanh Hoa Province General Hospital. The babies were transferred to the hospital from the Military Hospital 87 in Nha Trang, the capital city of Khanh Hoa, where they were anaesthetized on August 23 for free cleft lips and palate surgeries provided by the Center for Researching and Aiding Smile Operation (OSCA), a Hanoi-based non-governmental charity. The three victims, 14-month-old Nguyen Quang Minh, a boy; Nguyen Ngoc Tuyet Van, an 11-month-old girl; and Pi Nang Tuan Huu, a 16-month-old boy, were among 11 children receiving free cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries from the OSCA’s medical team on August 23. After the deaths, the health ministry requested that OSCA be put under a comprehensive inspection, focusing on the organization’s charitable medical operations, surgery processes, funding reception, the settlement of the costs of free surgeries, and some other issues. Earlier on August 25, the ministry demanded that competent agencies suspend OSCA’s surgery activities across the country.

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