N.T.T., a resident of HCMC’s Nha Be Ward, needed a single dental implant. She visited V.L. Dental Clinic on Dien Bien Phu Street, where she was examined by a person in a lab coat. The diagnosis was shocking. She was told that most of her teeth were severely damaged – worn down, cracked, and decayed. If she didn’t agree to have them all fitted with porcelain crowns, she was warned, her teeth would be ruined, she wouldn’t be able to eat, and she’d eventually need a full set of implants.
A doctor named Khang then began the sales pitch, offering crowns at VND5 million (US$200) per tooth and advising her to do the entire jaw for a “deal” of VND50 million ($2,000), plus VND20 million ($800) for the single implant. The pressure mounted as another consultant urged her to upgrade to a superior type of porcelain with a lifetime warranty.
“They quoted me an exorbitant price”, T. recounted. “When I refused, they dropped it to VND100 million ($4,000) for the whole package, including the implant. But I had to pay VND80 million ($3,200) upfront, with the rest payable over four months, interest-free.”
When she returned for the procedure, the trap snapped shut. T. was told to pay the remaining VND20 million ($800) immediately and forced to sign a formal loan contract. As collateral, the clinic confiscated her official Citizen ID card, refusing to return it until the debt was fully paid. They didn’t stop there. She was also forced to provide the phone numbers of three relatives. If she refused, they threatened to cancel the procedure entirely and keep her deposit. Fearing she would lose all her money, she complied.
The ordeal only worsened. After several visits, the clinic claimed her implant was failing to integrate with the bone because she had sinusitis, causing frequent infections. They removed the implant and told her to get her sinusitis treated before they would proceed. “But my sinusitis is chronic; it can’t be completely cured”, T. explained. The clinic refused to continue the procedure – and refused to refund her money.
Another serious story comes from Viet Khang General Clinic in Thu Duc Ward of HCMC. An inspection by the HCMC Department of Health confirmed the clinic was a known hotspot. The method was always the same. “The clinic would lure patients in with low-cost consultations”, officials reported, “but once inside, staff would continuously invent new ‘diagnoses’ and push numerous additional services, causing the final bill to skyrocket, sometimes into the tens of millions of VND.”
Similarly, an inspection of Khang Thinh General Clinic uncovered a raft of violations, including performing unauthorized medical abortions, ordering tests for “vague” reasons, and billing for services that were never documented in patient records.
According to Director of the HCMC Department of Health, Assoc Prof Tang Chi Thuong, MD PhD, while the term “inventing illness” isn’t in any dictionary, its meaning is universally understood. “It’s the act of exploiting a patient’s trust to invent non-existent diseases or exaggerate minor ones into dangerous conditions requiring immediate, high-priced interventions”, he explained. “This behavior is an affront to the medical profession’s core ethics and has sparked outrage even among our own healthcare workers.”
He offered stern advice to the public: “Before agreeing to any medical service, people must be vigilant. Carefully verify the clinic’s credentials on the HCMC Department of Health’s official lookup portal (https://tracuu.medinet.org.vn). Don’t rush into paying for unusual or unclear fees.”
He urged anyone who suspects they are being scammed to immediately call the Department’s hotlines at 0967771010 or 0989401155 so that authorities can intervene.
Beyond public vigilance, Director Tang Chi Thuong stressed the need for proactive measures from regulatory bodies, including independent monitoring and an effective “Rapid Response Process” to detect and strictly punish any facility trying to exploit patients.
The issue is linked to another persistent problem, namely medical hawkers. On July 30, the HCMC Department of Health held an emergency meeting with hospital leaders to address the resurgence of these hawkers, who prey on patients. Hospital leaders frankly discussed the challenges of controlling the flow of people, especially at hospital entrances where these ill-intention people can easily approach and mislead uninformed patients, luring them to outside services.
“This is not a new problem, but it’s on the rise again, especially at our busiest hospitals”, Director Tang Chi Thuong stated. “The city’s health sector maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any form of touting. It’s a practice that severely harms patients, damages the reputation of our hospitals, and poisons the entire healthcare environment.”
