HA NOI (VNS)- A special medical council yesterday started investigating the deaths of three children who died under anaesthetic while awaiting free cleft-lip surgery in Khanh Hoa Province last Saturday.
The infants who died were aged 12, 14 months and 16 months. The operations were organised by the Centre for Researching and Aiding Operation Smile, a non-governmental organisation based in Ha Noi.
Deputy Director of the Medical Services Administration, Nguyen Trong Khoa, said at a press conference yesterday that the surgery was authorised by the Khanh Hoa Health Department. The location and medical facilities were supplied by Military Hospital 87.
“The campaign’s surgeons, who are mainly voluntary doctors, have medical practice certificates licensed by the Ministry of Health,” said Khoa.
Military Medicine Department official Colonel Vu Quoc Binh said that the humanitarian surgery was the second campaign organised by the Centre for Research and Aiding Operation Smile in the province. The first was completed in 2012.
About 2,000 children have received cleft-lip surgery by the centre so far, according to Binh.
Pham Van Ai from the centre said that the centre would take full responsibility for the deaths of the three children, added Khoa.
The Ha Noi Health Department’s Chief Inspector, Nguyen Viet Cuong, said that the centre had no licence to examine and treat people in the city.
However, it was allowed to organise free surgery campaigns in provinces and cities with permission from provincial health departments.
However, this was only done if the centre met all professional criteria, including human resources and surgical procedures. – VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News
