The Ministry of Health has requested local authorities in Gia Lai Province to urgently investigate a violent incident in which a female doctor was physically assaulted by a patient’s relative at Chu Se District Medical Center.

The ministry has also urged the implementation of enhanced security measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

On April 2, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Services Administration under the Ministry of Health, Nguyen Trong Khoa, issued an official dispatch to the Director of the Gia Lai Department of Health following the attack on a female doctor in Chu Se District.

The incident occurred on March 31 and involved a female physician working at Chu Se District Medical Center. The Ministry of Health described the attack as "a serious breach of public security and order, negatively impacting medical operations and threatening the safety of both healthcare workers and patients."

The department called on the provincial health director to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies to investigate and strictly handle the case in accordance with the law.

Furthermore, the ministry instructed provincial authorities to strengthen security at medical facilities, including installing monitoring and alert systems to identify potential threats and enforce preventive measures in line with the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

“The physical and emotional well-being of both affected patients and healthcare workers must be urgently supported and addressed,” the dispatch emphasized.

According to previous reports by VietNamNet, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on March 31, when three patients - H.V.K (born 1967, from IaKo commune), N.V.T (born 1976, from Ia Pal commune), and H.V.P (born 1984, from Chu Se town) - were receiving treatment at the Chu Se District Medical Center.

While examining patient N.V.T, the on-duty physician, Dr. Nguyen Thi Diem Hang, gently tapped the patient’s leg to guide him into a better position for the exam. At that moment, a relative of patient H.V.P, who was lying in the adjacent bed, suddenly began shouting, accusing Dr. Hang of hurting the patient despite his pain.

Although Dr. Hang calmly explained that the touch was very light and proceeded with the exam, the relative of patient P. continued to escalate the situation, threatening: “Do you even know who I am? Do you know who my brother is?”

Dr. Hang asked the man not to interfere with her work and requested that he move to the other side of the bed. Before she could finish her sentence, the man suddenly lunged at her and punched her multiple times in the face and head, causing her to feel dazed and disoriented.

Security personnel immediately intervened, removing the aggressor from the facility. However, he continued to act aggressively and made further threats against Dr. Hang before leaving the center along with patient H.V.P.

Vo Thu