Vietnam Ministry of Health Faces Turmoil Amid Resignations, Arrests of Senior Officials

Vietnam's Ministry of Health is facing significant upheaval as Deputy Minister Nguyen Tri Thuc has resigned from his post, effective September 23, citing personal wishes. This decision, approved by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, follows closely on the heels of another high-profile departure. Mr. Thuc, who had served as Deputy Minister since June 2026, was previously the director of Cho Ray Hospital, the largest tertiary care facility in the southern region. His career was largely spent at Cho Ray Hospital, where he rose through the ranks from head of the Cardiology Department to chief of the Arrhythmia Treatment Department. Born in 1973 in Binh Dinh province, Mr. Thuc holds a doctorate in Internal Medicine, a second-level specialist qualification, a degree in English, and advanced political theory qualifications. He also served as a member of the 15th National Assembly and held positions as Party Committee Secretary. Mr. Thuc's resignation marks the second senior official to leave the Ministry of Health within September 2026. Earlier, on September 2, former Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan was arrested and detained by the Ministry of Public Security on charges of receiving bribes. Subsequently, Mr. Thuan was suspended from his duties as Deputy Minister and Chairman of the National Medical Council by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. On September 16, he was expelled from the Communist Party by the Central Committee. Mr. Thuan is reportedly implicated in a bribery case involving Viet My Medical Investment JSC, where he is alleged to have received substantial sums of money. This case has been placed on a list of key investigations and directives by the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Negative Phenomena, under the direct leadership of Party General Secretary and President To Lam. According to various Vietnamese media outlets, Viet My Medical Investment JSC has secured 77 bids across multiple healthcare facilities, including K Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, Bai Chay Hospital, and Ninh Binh Provincial General Hospital. Reports suggest the company has won hundreds of bids nationwide. Specifically, the total value of 246 bids won by Viet My amounts to VND 5.947 trillion (approximately $240 million USD), including numerous contracts with major medical institutions like K Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital. Mr. Thuan, during his tenure as director of K Hospital, oversaw a period where Viet My participated in 41 bids, winning 36. At Cho Ray Hospital, the company reportedly won 24 out of 27 bids it participated in, with a total value exceeding VND 600 billion (approximately $25 million USD). With the departure of Mr. Thuan and Mr. Thuc, the Ministry of Health, under Minister Dao Hong Lan, now has four remaining deputy ministers: Vu Manh Ha, Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Do Xuan Tuyen, and Le Duc Luan. © 2026 BBC. BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Learn how we approach external linking.