SGGP
On August 15, SGGP Newspaper published the article “Father runs out of money to buy coffin for son after being “ripped off” on ambulance fare”. Immediately after the article was published, public opinion expressed outrage at the indifferent and insensitive attitude of the bus company as well as condemned the shortcomings surrounding this type of transportation.
On August 15, SGGP Newspaper published the article “Father ‘ripped off’ on ambulance fare, ran out of money to buy coffin for son”, reflecting the situation where a father took his son to Ho Chi Minh City for emergency treatment but he did not survive, and did not have enough money to buy a coffin for his son. Immediately after the article was published, public opinion expressed outrage at the indifferent and insensitive attitude of the bus company as well as condemned the shortcomings surrounding this type of transportation.
Not enough hospital vehicles
According to the reporter's investigation, in Ho Chi Minh City, there are many licensed ambulance companies that transport patients, but there is no general price list regulating the fees for this type of service, leading to a chaotic price situation, even patients are forced and overcharged. At noon on August 15, at the emergency department of Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), posing as people who need to transfer patients to Phuoc An City (Dak Lak Province), we were introduced by security guards to an ambulance of the Central Highlands 115 Ambulance Transport Service Company Limited. Through discussion, a company employee said that the price of more than 4 million VND includes a nurse accompanying, fully equipped with equipment such as oxygen tanks, ventilators, etc.
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Taking a patient from an ambulance to Cho Ray Hospital on the morning of August 15, 2023. Photo: CAO THANG |
Continuing to contact 115 National Company Limited to book a vehicle to transport a patient from Go Cong Dong District Medical Center (Tien Giang Province) to Cho Ray Hospital for treatment, we were quoted a price of 1.7 million VND, the vehicle is fully equipped with medical equipment, if requiring medical staff to accompany, it will cost 2.4 million VND.
For the same route, an employee of Ho Chi Minh City Ambulance Service Company VN Healthcare (Binh Thanh District) quoted a price of VND3.2 million, including medical staff accompanying the patient and fully equipped with ventilators and oxygen tanks. “The company will be responsible for contacting the Go Cong Dong District Medical Center to ask the district ambulance to transport the patient to Cho Ray Hospital, in order to save some expenses for the family. In case the district ambulances do not meet the family's requirements, the company will arrange a vehicle to take the patient to Ho Chi Minh City for timely treatment,” the employee added.
Currently, there are many organizations and individuals who are benefactors who have supported the transfer of patients at a cost of 0 VND, helping patients in difficult circumstances. A typical example is the "0 VND Charity Ambulance Team" in Tra On District, Vinh Long Province, the team has 2 ambulances, helping to transport patients completely free of charge in Tra On District to hospitals in Vinh Long and Can Tho.
In addition, the “Tay Ninh 0 Dong Volunteer Ambulance” team has also actively supported and helped transport patients from Ho Chi Minh City to Tay Ninh or vice versa at a cost of 0 Dong (contact phone number: 0823.999.115). In addition to supporting the transfer of patients, the team also helps and mobilizes donors to support families in difficult circumstances with some funeral expenses.
In Hanoi, many large hospitals such as Bach Mai, Viet Duc, K... have ambulances and patient transport vehicles that can only meet a small part of the needs of patients, so most patients have to use ambulances from outside. Mr. Pham Huy T. (in Luong Son, Hoa Binh) shared: "My brother had an accident and was brought here for emergency treatment, but because his injuries were very serious and unlikely to survive, the hospital advised him to go home, but the hospital did not have an ambulance right away. I was so anxious that I hired an ambulance from outside and had to pay nearly 3 million VND for about 50 kilometers from the hospital to Luong Son."
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Many ambulance companies transport emergency patients at Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC). Photo: BUI TUAN |
Meanwhile, at Tan Trieu K Hospital, due to the large number of patients, there are always more than 10 ambulances gathered outside the hospital, ready to pick up patients when requested. There are even some “brokers” soliciting and soliciting patients right on the hospital grounds, in the hospital payment area, causing many people to mistakenly think they are hospital staff and have to pay larger amounts than the regulations.
Manage and handle strongly
According to representatives of some hospitals, investing in ambulances requires a large amount of money. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has not yet issued specific regulations on the number of ambulances, so many hospitals do not focus on investing in purchasing vehicles, but mainly cooperate with external emergency transport units. Furthermore, the relevant ministries and agencies have not yet issued specific regulations on the cost of emergency transportation of patients or transporting the bodies of patients, so there is a situation of "price chaos". According to the Vietnam Transport Association, the lack of consistency in managing ambulance operations is an important cause leading to chaos in the operation of this type of service.
Sharing the same view, Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Le Dinh Thanh, Director of Thong Nhat Hospital (HCMC), said that the problem of "overcharging" patients is mainly caused by some "undercover" ambulance transport businesses. Currently, the hospital has requested the administrative department and security team to strengthen control, detect, and report on "overcharging" ambulances, causing difficulties for patients. "The hospital has 10 ambulances, but they mainly serve staff. In some cases of emergency patient support, a fee will be charged, but the fee must be collected in accordance with regulations, and no more is allowed," said Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Le Dinh Thanh.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has also issued a document requesting functional units to strengthen post-licensing inspection of emergency services and patient transportation support services in Ho Chi Minh City. If there are any violations, they will be strictly handled and the operation of unlicensed facilities will be terminated.
Ambulance price gouging case: What do the hospital and the bus company say?
Regarding the case of the son of Mr. TMG (35 years old, residing in Ca Mau) who was in critical condition and had to be transferred to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment, the bus company "ripped off" him of all the money to buy a coffin for his son, SGGP newspaper reported on August 15. Doctor Truong Minh Kien, Deputy Director of Ca Mau Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital, said that the family requested to transfer the child to Children's Hospital 1 by their own means, only requesting a transfer paper upon request. The hospital doctor did not introduce or give the phone number of the person "dispatching" the ambulance from Ho Chi Minh City to take the child to Children's Hospital 1.
For a long time, Ca Mau Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital has had a regulation that strictly prohibits employees from contacting outside ambulance services to transport patients to higher levels. If employees are found to be in violation, they will be disciplined according to regulations. During the treatment process, if a patient needs to be transferred to a higher level, the hospital will carry out the transfer procedures according to regulations. If the hospital runs out of vehicles, contact Ca Mau General Hospital to arrange a vehicle. Depending on the time (due to fluctuating gasoline prices), a transfer with full medical staff and emergency equipment from Ca Mau to Ho Chi Minh City costs about 6-8 million VND. In cases where the patient's family is in difficult circumstances, contact the hospital's Social Work Department to arrange a free transfer.
According to Mr. Le Hong Son, representative of 115 Xuyen Viet Transport Company Limited, the unit that receives the emergency transportation of the above child patient, an ambulance trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau to pick up the child patient to the hospital safely, with full equipment, nurses, doctors, oxygen ventilators... 16 million VND is a reasonable cost, not "overcharging". "When people contact the service, the car has to travel from Ho Chi Minh City back for about 5-6 hours. The child patient's family agrees with the price offered by the company, there is an agreed contract, the company does not force people", Mr. Le Hong Son explained.
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