Health minister and Hà Nội leader expelled from Party for violations

Chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Chu Ngọc Anh (left) and Health minister Nguyễn Thanh Long. Photo nhandan.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Party Central Committee has expelled Health Minister Nguyễn Thanh Long and Chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Chu Ngọc Anh from the Party.

The decision was made at an extraordinary meeting on Monday afternoon.

Anh is also former Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Science and Technology and former Minister of Science and Technology, and Long is Secretary of the Party Committee at the health ministry. They are both members of the Party Central Committee and under this body’s direct management.

The decision was reached after considering the proposal from the Politburo as well as the content, consequences and causes of the two officials’ violations.

Earlier, the Politburo issued disciplinary warnings to the Party committees of the 2016-21 tenure at the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health over wrongdoings.

The Politburo and the Secretariat concluded that the violations of regulations and mistakes committed by the Party committees at the science-technology and the health ministry had caused serious consequences.

The reasons for the disciplinary actions were not clearly stated, but the mid-Central Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Việt Nam has concluded in their mid-May meeting that the Party committees of the health and science-technology ministries committed wrongdoings in the infamous case of price hiking and bribery related to COVID-19 tests taking place at Việt Á company, which has resulted in several health officials of local Centres for Disease Control (CDCs) detained and prosecuted. — VNS