Many hospitals in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi will install cameras to monitor the performance of health workers in emergency aid and health check-up areas, as part of efforts to improve medical service quality. The move came after a number of medical violations have been uncovered in the city since the beginning of this year. The case that a nurse was found pilfering vaccine doses off racks when she was vaccinating a child is a typical example. Bui Thi Phuong Hoa, a 40-year-old nurse at the Center for Preventive Medicine, admitted in writing to her faults and was then laid off in May. Meanwhile, Hanoi police in August prosecuted 10 people suspected of seeking profit from health insurance by making thousands of false blood tests in the general hospital of outlying district of Hoai Duc. Almost all major public hospitals in Vietnam have been criticized for overload, red tape, corruption, and low-quality medical services. Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has admitted these problems but has not yet had any solutions. (VnExpress Dec 25)
