Eight Chinese citizens have been arrested for illegally providing health services in HCM City by asking their Vietnamese accomplices to register and set up medical facilities for them.

Hiep Hoa Clinic

On May 8, the HCM City Health Department co-operated with the immigration management board to carry out an inspection on the Hiep Hoa Clinic on Truong Son Street, Tan Binh District. The team discovered Chinese doctors who are checking on patients without any interpreters.

The owner of the clinic also could neither provide any business permit during the investigation nor practising certificates for seven out of eight Chinese doctors in the clinic.

In addition, the clinic did not have service price list. They even provided services beyond their expertise such as cutting haemorrhoids.

To conceal the truth, the clinic advertised that they offered international standard medical care with skilled staff. They also claimed that their ten best doctors had been recognised by the Vietnam Ministry of Health on websites and a TV commercial.

A patient said she had paid VND1.5 million (USD72) for kidney tests. Other patients said they went to the clinic because of the advert on TV that said they would be 'magically' cured of haemorrhoids.

The inspection team seized records, confiscated documents and suspended the clinic's operation.

The Department of Health inspected Hiep Hoa Clinic previously but because of the lack of co-operation between agencies, they was not authorised to deal with the case and let the fake doctors leave.