Investigation launched into 480 kidney stone procedures conducted despite broken equipment in Vietnam’s Dak Lak

At a press conference on Thursday morning, Nay Phi La, director of the Dak Lak Department of Health, provided information about discrepancies found in medical records tied to 480 kidney stone removal procedures at the hospital. 

La stated that the hospital's laser lithotripsy machine had been out of service since November 2023. 

During this period, the hospital borrowed equipment from other medical units in order to continue performing the procedures. 

However, records submitted for insurance reimbursement still listed the hospital's own machine as being used.

La called the situation a procedural error with signs of serious violations and said the department had ordered the hospital to review its operations and discipline responsible staff.

He added that provincial police had been brought in to determine whether any insurance fraud or collusion had occurred.

On July 17, 2025, the health department formed a task force to inspect the hospital's department of urology and nephrology. 

A preliminary report, dated July 22, revealed numerous problems, including unauthorized hazardous duty allowances, poor management of supplies and equipment, and inconsistencies between the number of supplies ordered and what was actually used.

Following that inspection, the hospital was asked on August 6 to explain the 480 procedures in question. 

They admitted to multiple mistakes, including filing reimbursement claims that referenced the broken laser equipment, failing to properly track medical supplies like JJ stents, and submitting inconsistent paperwork. 

In a follow-up report submitted on September 8, the hospital acknowledged that its lithotripsy machine had broken down repeatedly throughout 2024 but that it had continued to report laser procedures anyway.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoang, head of the urology and nephrology department, admitted that medical records falsely stated laser use even when the equipment was not working. 

Dr. Bui Ngoc Duc, head of the surgery and anesthesia department, said his team only handled surgery scheduling and anesthesia staffing and was not involved in clinical consultations.

Hospital director Nguyen Dang Giap confirmed that medical service codes were misclassified and that the hospital's oversight was inadequate. 

He acknowledged that the staff involved had acted negligently and dishonestly and said the hospital had clarified each individual's level of misconduct.

Director of the Dak Lak Department of Health La emphasized that these were serious professional violations and that prompt action was necessary to protect patient rights and ensure transparency. 

At the same press conference, deputy director of the Tay Nguyen Regional General Hospital Le Ka Thuy said internal disciplinary steps had already been taken. The hospital had reviewed all the medical records involved and corrected the identified procedural errors.

In its September 8 report, the hospital also cited a shortage of JJ stents and repeated equipment failures during 2024, even though the procedures were still logged as having been performed. 

An expert committee within the hospital concluded that both the surgical and anesthesia teams violated standard procedure and acted dishonestly. 

The primary responsibility, according to the report, lay with the heads of both the urology and nephrology department and the surgery and anesthesia department, though surgical team members also shared the blame.

When asked whether the patients still had kidney stones, Giap said further medical evaluations would be needed to make that determination. 

Director of the Dak Lak Department of Health La reiterated that the violations were discovered and addressed quickly and that his department is fully cooperating with provincial police.

"We will not cover up any wrongdoing and will provide all necessary documents to investigators," La said. 

"Additional information will be shared with the media and the public as it becomes available."

As part of the hospital's disciplinary actions, Tran Thi Kim Oanh, head nurse of the urology and nephrology department, and Le Xuan Vinh, the department's deputy head, were both reprimanded. 

Bui Ngoc Duc, head of the surgery and anesthesia department, also received a reprimand, and Nguyen Ngoc Hoang, head of the urology and nephrology department, was issued a formal warning.