A doctor in the north-central Vietnamese province of Thua Thien- Hue was slapped with a VND5 million (US$220.3) fine for defaming the country’s health minister on Facebook.

Nguyen Huy Hien, deputy director of the provincial Department of Information and Communications, confirmed on Thursday that Dr. Hoang Cong Truyen, a practitioner at a medical center in Phong Dien District, was officially handed his punishment for the slander of Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien.

On July 14, Truyen posted a status to his personal Facebook page asserting that Minister Tien should resign due to her poor performance in advisory work and other matters relating to security at local hospitals.

The post also included an image of Minister Tien.

Nguyen Xuan Truong, head of the office of the health ministry, sent a document to the Thua Thien- Hue Department of Health ordering verification of the case.

The document levied the accusation that the Facebook post smeared and insulted the health minister, thereby affecting her reputation.

Local authorities assigned to investigate the case determined that Dr. Truyen was responsible for the status. 

A financial penalty was subsequently imposed by the provincial Department of Information and Communications.

Truyen was also required to write a report on his violation and will be reprimanded by the Phong Dien District healthcare center.

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