The public has been raising more questions over Hanoi authorities' ability to manage healthcare facilities after the recent death of two children at a private clinic.

On November 20, a 16-month-old child died at Huong Sen Clinic, in Thuong Tin District, after receiving an injection from the clinic's head, Dr. Pham Anh Son, who is also head of the Pediatric Ward of Thuong Tin General Hospital. A day before, Son diagnosed the child with pneumonia and gave him an injection to treat it along with a test. The doctor failed to test before the second injection, which is suspected to have killed the child.

This is the second death in a short time at the clinic. However public rage has welled up because Dr. Son had promised not to treat any more patients after he caused the death of another child who was also diagnosed with pneumonia only six months ago.

According to Mrs. Tran Nhi Ha, of the Hanoi Department of Health, Dr. Son has a certificate in pediatric treatment, but has not received a license for his private clinic."Son has violated the city's regulations when providing treatment, injections and the sales of medication at his clinic," Ha confirmed.

Speaking with the media on November 25, deputy head of the Hanoi Department of Health, Nguyen Van Dung, said that Son has been temporarily suspended from work for 15 days pending further investigation.

"Son had been fined and asked to sign a a binding commitment not to operate the clinic causing after June but he did so anyway," Dung said, adding that the management of private clinics is a continuing challenge. "We have found that there are five unlicensed clinics operating in Thuong Tin District, while Ha Dong District has 10 such clinics."