Hoa Binh (VNA) - ThePeople’s Court of Hoa Binh province on June 19 announced it has reduced the jailterm given to five defendants involved in the fatal medical incident thatkilled nine patients at the Hoa Binh General Hospital two years ago.

Hoang Cong Luong, a former doctor atthe Hoa Binh General Hospital, had his sentenced reduced to 30 months in prisonfor involuntary manslaughter.

Tran Van Thang, former head of thehospital’s medical material and equipment division; Truong Quy Duong, formerdirector of the hospital; Hoang Dinh Khieu, former deputy director of thehospital, saw their sentences reduced to 30 months for lacking responsibilityand causing serious consequences.

Do Anh Tuan, director of the Thien SonPharmacy JSC, was given 24 month suspended sentence for the same charge.

Among the defendants, Duong, formerdirector of the Hoa Binh General Hospital, had his appeal rejected, maintainingthe original sentence.  

The Hoa Binh General Hospital andThien Son JSC were ordered to pay more than 1.6 billion VND (69,000 USD) and 700million VND (30,100 USD) to the victims’ families respectively.

At the first-instance trial, thePeople’s Court of Hoa Binh city handed down sentences to the seven defendantsafter the medical incident on May 29, 2017.

Luong was sentenced to 42 months oncharges of involuntary manslaughter. Thang and Khieu were sentenced 36 monthsin jail, Duong 30 months and Tuan 30 months for lacking responsibility, causingserious consequences.

The five defendants appealed againstthe verdict, asking to have suspended sentences.

Defendants Bui Manh Quoc, directorof the Tram Anh Water Treatment Company, and Tran Van Son, who worked at thehospital’s medical material and equipment division, were given 42 months.

Speaking at the appeal hearing, thecourt heard Luong was from an ethnic minority whose family devoted theirservices to the revolution, had good character and was a professional doctor atthe hospital.  

When the incident happened, Luongadmitted his negligence and tried to treat the patients after the error.

The court said Thang failed to takehis responsibility in advising the hospital’s managers to issue regulations onthe management and use of medical devices, including the reverse osmosis filtersystem.

Thang as well as Khieu, had goodcharacter and had done well in their professional careers.

The court noted the jail term of 30months for Tuan, who was responsible for cleaning the water filter system forthe hospital's dialysis machines, was too strict. The defendant had hissentence suspended by the appeal court.

Duong, as a leader of the hospital,had neglected his tasks which led to serious violations. The court kept the sentenceunchanged.

On May 29, 2017, 18 kidney patientsexperienced symptoms such as anaphylactic shock, breathing difficulties, suddendrops in blood pressure, stomach aches and vomiting while receiving kidneydialysis at the dialysis division at Hoa Binh General Hospital’s Department ofIntensive Care. Nine patients died.

According to authorities, taintedwater for kidney dialysis and poorly operated equipment were the causes of theincident.-VNA