The exact cause of death of a Hanoi resident at FV Hospital in Ho Chi
Minh City this August can only be identified after an upcoming autopsy,
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health announced last week.
The ministry’s ad hoc
professional council researching the cause of death of patient Mai Trung Kien
concluded that what resulted in his death was “secondary haemorrhage due to the
administration of anti-coagulant drugs after appendectomy and acute myocardial
ischemia in a patient with many risks – 4 coronary artery bypasses and a
cerebrovascular accident.”
The announcement said the
conclusion was based on the analysis of the medical records provided by FV and
Tam Duc hospitals.
The council requested
French-invested FV to organise the study, conduct an indepth review, and
correct the individuals and teams who had made professional, technical mistakes
in medical examination and treatment of the patient, according to the judgement
rendered by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.
The case of the 57-year-old Kien
has lasted for three months. On August 8, he was brought to FV with symptoms of
appendicitis. His daughters told doctors he used to have heart disease and was
taking anticoagulation medicine. An appendectomy was then performed. Two days
later, Kien complained of chest and abdominal pains, and FV doctors diagnosed
him with a heart attack. FV then transferred him to Tam Duc heart hospital next
door, where doctors found that his appendectomy had internal bleeding and he
was in critical conditions due to blood loss. He was brought back to FV
immediately for another medical operation, but his heart stopped very early
August 12 before surgery could happen.
The city Department of Health concluded
August 29 that the reason of Kien’s death was internal bleeding after surgery
and the hospital failed to make timely diagnoses and treatments on this
internal bleeding. FV disputed those findings and brought the case to the
Ministry of Health.
On November 22, FV held the
first-ever press conference on the case. FV CEO doctor Jean-Marcel Guillon
said, “As doctors, we strive to heal all, but, sometimes, higher powers or the
gods have other plans for us. And despite our best efforts, not every life can
be saved.
“As we have admitted from the
outset, FV Hospital’s diagnosis of the bleeding was late, but the professional
council confirmed that the cardiac problems deviated our diagnosis and that FV
Hospital accurately diagnosed the heart problems and gave the right treatment.
Nonetheless, we are reviewing our risk-priority protocols to try to ensure
that, in a patient with many risk factors, one symptom does not mask another,
and multiple symptoms are balanced by priority of risk.”
“The mistake of FV Hospital did
not directly cause the death of this patient,” he added, citing the council’s
conclusion.
“We are also reminded that
doctors are human beings too, with human souls and emotions. I would turn to
the fact that the council has conclusively confirmed that Dr. Le Duc Tuan, our
surgeon in this case, made no mistake whatsoever, either in his diagnosis of
the emergency appendicitis or in performing the appendectomy surgery.
“However, for 3 months now, Dr.
Tuan has been under attack because he has been judged without reference to the
medical facts. His wife and children have suffered along with him the
indignities of these attacks and he has been stopped from performing his
beloved surgery since this nightmare started. This is unjust and we should all
consider if this is how we should treat those whose lifework is to save our
lives.”
The council includes prestigious
medical doctors such as Prof. Pham Gia Khanh, former director of the Army
Institute of Medicine; Prof. Pham Gia Khai, chairman of the Cardiovascular
Association of Vietnam; Prof. Vu Van Dinh, former chairman of the Association
of Resuscitation-Emergency and Antitoxication of Vietnam, and Prof. Nguyen Anh
Tri, chairman of the Association of Haematology-Blood Transfusion of Vietnam.
The FV CEO also announced that
nine foreign doctors at the hospital were already back at work with their new
registrations with the Ministry of Health.
Guillon was mentioning the
suspension of the foreign doctors while they were waiting for new registration
procedures to be finalised. “Now that these administrative procedures have been
done, we are pleased to confirm that our foreign doctors get back to work.”
Guillon said despite all the
difficulties FV has faced in this case, his hospital would continue to accept
high-risk patients for treatment.
“Even if in doing so, we risk
extremely adverse media coverage. In Vietnam there is a famous proverb –
adversity brings wisdom. And we are expecting that all the adversity we have
experienced in the last 3 months will bring us much wisdom.
Regarding the compensation for
the patient’s family, Guillon said FV would observe court rulings.
Tuong Thuy | vir.com.vn
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