Former Director of Hanoi Heart Hospital Nguyen Quang Tuan: It was wrong to appoint a contractor but there is no other way

The testimony was delivered by Tuan Tuan on the afternoon of April 17 at the Hanoi People’s Court. Tuan Tuan was accused of allowing the Hoang Nga and Kim Hoa Phat companies to send supplies to the Hanoi Heart Hospital in a use first, pay later form.

To legitimize payments, Tuan Tuan and his subordinates legalized by making bidding documents and appointing contractors in 2016 – 2017 with a total value of 595 billion VND. The prosecution accused the Hoang Nga and Kim Hoa Phat Companies of inflating the prices of a number of items, including heart stents, causing damage of more than 53 billion VND.

Defendant Tuan, former Director of the Hanoi Heart Hospital, former member of the National Assembly.

When questioned, Mr Nguyen Quang Tuan said that the “send supplies” policy existed before he returned to work as Director of the Heart Hospital (from 2012 to 2020). This position also directs subordinates to send businesses to hospitals to have items and equipment for treatment.

“How can I buy the same or lower than the price I bought before because these items are traditional, the hospital has been used for many years,” Tuan Tuan said, the principle is “send supplies”.

The former director of Hanoi Heart Hospital acknowledged that there were no offers for goods, equipment and purchases based only on “comparison with previous years and other hospitals”.

According to Tuan Tuan: “Appointing a contractor is wrong, but there is no other way”. The doctor admits that he is most responsible for this case. He added, if at that time there was a comparison with the market price list, there would be no mistake.

Tuan Tuan also claimed that Hoang Nga and Kim Hoa Phat’s company gave Tet gifts including 10,000 USD, a bottle of wine and a box of cigars in 2016 – 2017. Until now, he has returned the amount and still received his wife instead of paying 6 billion dong to resolve as a result.

In addition, the above business also sponsors the general activities of the Hanoi Heart Hospital, but how much money, the former director can’t remember.

Tuan Tuan’s subordinate, the defendant Hoang Thi Ngoc Huong, former deputy director of the Heart Hospital, also admitted his mistakes in the process of directing the bid, from assessing the price, preparing the documents… and confirmed the “charge” charged me properly.”

Ms Huong said she was directed by Mr Tuan in a meeting, requiring procurement to: “Ensure progress, create conditions for suppliers, complete paperwork later”.

According to the indictment, the group of Nguyen Duc Dang, Chairman of the Hoang Nga Company and Phan Tuan Dat, Chairman of the Kim Hoa Phat Company raised the issue and it was agreed by Nguyen Quang Tuan that these two businesses sell consumer goods. to the hospital at the agreed unit price.

In the period 2016-2017, the Cardiac Hospital held separate tenders for 5 bid packages specializing in the procurement of consumables for cardiovascular interventions, totaling over 595 billion VND, including 5 bid packages for 223 goods valued at over 247 billion dong and 4 short bid package to purchase 538 items, worth nearly 348 billion dong

As a result, Hoang Nga Company participated and won 5 bidding packages and Kim Hoa Phat won 4 packages including 400 Stent and several other materials. However, these items were too expensive, according to the indictment.

In order to legitimize the bid documents to purchase cardiac intervention consumables from Hoang Nga and Kim Hoa Phat companies, the defendant Nguyen Quang Tuan used his position and power to illegally interfere in bidding activities.

The appraisal body concluded that the collusive acts mentioned above caused losses of over VND 22.8 billion to the Heart Hospital and Social Insurance Fund in the 5 bid packages in 2016 and over VND 30 billion in the 2017 bid packages.