A doctor in Ho Chi Minh City has been discovered ripping off his patients after one of the victims’ family member chased him down with a knife in a hospital earlier this week.

A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed on Saturday that the doctor, named N.L.M.T., has been suspended from work at the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital in District 1 while his case is being validated.

The situation caught public attention as T. was chased down by a knife-wielding man, who is the family member of a patient, at the facility on Thursday.

The infirmary’s board of directors then asked the doctor to write a report on the incident.

In his report, T. admitted to receiving a total of VND9 million (US$387) from a patient named D., who had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, on two separate occasions.

He also demanded and pocketed about VND20 million ($860) from two other patients.

The doctor has worked at the Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital since 2012 and is said to have great expertise.

Tuoi Tre reporters contacted T. on Saturday but he refused to provide any further detail.

“The hospital is in charge of answering the press about my case from now on. I am in no position to give any information,” he stated.

According to Phu Chi Dung, director of the infirmary, a probe is being carried out to determine the total of money T. received from the patients.

T. is a lecturer at the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and has been in contract with the hospital, Dung continued, adding that the incident has also been notified to the university.  

“The transactions were made in private between the doctor and patients, thus they were difficult monitor. We have advised all patients to follow the payment procedures at the infirmary’s counter to prevent this happening,” the director elaborated.

Aside from his suspension, T. has also been asked to return all of the money to his patients.

During an interview with Tuoi Tre, X., one of the victims, said he was only aware that he was a victim after the case was publicized.

X. is a farmer and has been seeking treatment for his five-year-old child at the hospital for a few months.

T. previously asked him to pay some VND7.5 million ($322.5) for a type of medicine, and about VND3 million ($129) for a health examination of his kid, X. recalled.

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