Former Vietnamese health minister sentenced to 6 years in prison over hospital project losses

Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, former Minister of Health, was sentenced to six years in prison on Tuesday and ordered to pay compensation of VND108 billion ($4 million) in a major corruption and wastefulness case linked to two large-scale hospital projects.

The ruling was handed down by the Hanoi People's Court in a case involving violations at the second campus projects of Bach Mai Hospital and Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.

The court described the case as “especially serious,” saying it caused major losses and waste of state assets, delayed two flagship healthcare projects, and resulted in total damages exceeding VND803 billion ($30.49 million).

According to the verdict, Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was convicted of “violating regulations on the management and use of state assets causing losses and wastefulness.” The court said that, as head of the Ministry of Health at the time, she bore primary responsibility for directing, approving and implementing the projects.

Several former officials from the health ministry and construction ministry were also sentenced on the same charge. Tran Van Sinh received seven years in prison, while Nguyen Kim Trung, Nguyen Doan Tu, Le Van Cu and Hoang Xuan Hiep each received three-year sentences.

On bribery charges, Nguyen Chien Thang, former director of the Major Health Projects Management Board, was sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison, while Nguyen Huu Tuan received 25 years.

According to prosecutors, contractors involved in 10 construction packages across the two projects were required to pay kickbacks equivalent to 5% of the pre-tax value of advance payments and contract disbursements in exchange for favorable treatment in winning bids.

Investigators said Nguyen Chien Thang received more than VND87 billion ($3.3 million) from contractors. After his retirement, Nguyen Huu Tuan allegedly received an additional VND12 billion.

The court said the defendants committed the offenses intentionally and caused particularly serious consequences, leaving the two thousand-bed hospital projects delayed for years and failing to meet their intended objectives.

However, the panel also considered mitigating circumstances, including confessions, expressions of remorse and efforts to compensate for damages.

Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was recognized as having paid the largest compensation amount among the defendants, totaling VND24.5 billion ($930,390). The court also cited her past contributions to Vietnam’s healthcare sector and organ and tissue donation campaigns as mitigating factors.

In addition to prison sentences, the court ordered the defendants jointly compensate the full VND803 billion ($30.49 million) in losses. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien was assigned responsibility for compensating VND108 billion ($4 million).

The court also urged relevant authorities to accelerate completion and operation of the two hospital projects to avoid further waste of public investment resources.