Investigations into the second campus projects of Bach Mai and Viet Duc Hospitals have revealed significant financial irregularities totaling over 803 billion VND in losses and wasteful spending. A substantial portion of this deficit, approximately 70 billion VND, stems from unauthorized expenditures and overpayments to an international consulting firm.
The firm in question, a Belgian-based group responsible for the project’s technical design and planning, has reportedly ceased all operations and no longer exists as a legal entity. Its representative office in Vietnam has also closed. Evidence suggests that the appointment of this consultant bypassed standard protocols, as the specific “special mechanism” required for hiring foreign consultants had not been officially approved by the Prime Minister at the time of signing.
Detailed audits show that payments for consultancy and technical design packages were several times higher than the caps established by the Ministry of Construction. In multiple instances, actual payouts exceeded 22 billion VND, whereas the legal limit was set at under 5 billion VND. These procedural violations have resulted in a complex legal situation regarding liability and asset recovery, while the hospital facilities themselves remain unfinished and deteriorating after years of neglect.