Saint Paul General Hospital in Hanoi has suspended from work three of its staff members who were found swindling HIV and hepatitis B test strips, local media reported on December 9.

Test strips being cut in half at Saint Paul General Hospital. Photo: Cao Cuong

Earlier, a TV report by news program VTV24 showed that staff at the hospital cut HIV and hepatitis B test strips in half so that one single-use test strip could be used twice. This fraudulent act could lead to misdiagnose.

It is known that an HIV test kit of 100 test strips costs VND3 million (US$129).

Besides, HIV and hepatitis B semiautomatic immunology tests require each patient's blood sample to use a separate test device. However, at Saint Paul General Hospital, four blood samples from four different patients were mixed by technicians into a glass test tube and put into the same chemical storage which will be incubated in the machine and produce a negative or positive result. A negative result would be a common result for all four patients. If the outcome is positive, all the four patients of the test would be asked for retesting.

On December 10, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung assigned the Hanoi Department of Health to inspect and strictly handle the scandal in accordance with the law before December 15.

Director of Saint Paul General Hospital Nguyen Dinh Hung said the hospital is currently reviewing the case and will adopt strict penalties on the wrongdoers.

“Moreover, the Hanoi Department of Health asked a thorough inspection of all departments in Saint Paul General Hospital,” Director of the department Nguyen Khac Hien told Economics & Urban Newspaper.