Mr. Dinh Dang Dinh is a political prisoner in Vietnam. Born in 1963, the high school teacher was arrested on Oct. 21, 2011 and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment on the charge of “spreading propaganga against the State of R.S. Vietnam” in his blog. He is now serving his sentence in prison An Phuoc, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. Very late during his imprisonment his gastric cancer was discovered. The metastasis has already spread to lymph nodes throughout his body and his cancer is possibly at final stage 4. Three-quarters of his stomach was cut off in Sep 2013. Forty- eight days after the operation, he was brought back to An Phuoc prison (about 120 km from Ho Chi Minh City). The chemotherapy was conducted twice times at the April 30th Hospital of the Ministry of Public Security in Ho Chi Minh City. He is since Jan 6, 2014 in the Oncology Hospital in HCM City. His health is degenerating. The Vietnamese authorities denied that his cancer is at final stage 4. (Summary, updated on Jan. 14, 2014)
Mr. Dinh sharing a bed with two patients in Oncology Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, on Jan 7, 2014
Chronology of the health condition of Mr. DINH Dang Dinh since his arrest in 2011
| Date | Health Condition ofMr. DINH Dang Dinh | Treatment &Efforts of his family |
| Jan 14, 2014 | – Mr. Dinh still suffered with stomach pains; he could only eat a spoonful of food per meal and had high blood pressure.- The doctor prescribed the following medicines for him: Duphalac, Ferlatum, Ultracet, Vaco Omez. | His family asked the doctor when Mr. Dinh would have chemotherapy. The doctor indicated that she had been only looking over his general health condition. The Internal Medicine Division 4 had been in charge of medications, and chemotherapy. When Division 4 had prescribed the therapy, she would render that treatment to him. |
| Jan 13, 2014 | The family paid the hospital fee of 250 thousands VND/day x 7 days = 1,750Mio VND | |
| Jan 09-10, 2014 | Mr. Dinh is going through endoscopy, Computer Tomography, blood testing as directed by the doctor. | |
| Jan 07, 2014 | Mr. Dinh felt better as he could rest in a separate bed in a room with 4 beds. He and the other patients complained about the disturbance of the four police agents. | On Jan 7, 2014 Mr. Dinh was transferred to the Palliative Care Department, Building E, 1st floor, room 101, Oncology Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. The Primary care doctor: Nguyen Thi Hai Duong. |
| Jan 06, 2014 | Mr. Dinh was very tired after a long trip. The condition of room is worse, as it is small and noisy with 4 beds installed, and 3 patients stacked on each bed. Family members of the patients are lying on the floor. Four police agents are present in the room videotaping and monitoring the action of Mr. Dinh and his family. | On Jan 6, 2014 the prison staff brought Mr. Dinh to the Oncology Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City (Internal Medicine Division 4, Building B, Room 103). The doctor advised that the Hospital would set up a new medical records file for him. |
| Dec 30,2013 | On Dec 30, 2013 his wife and daughter met Lieutenant Col. Phung Van Tuyen, Deputy Warden of An Phuoc prison, asked him about the decision of the prison to refuse the temporary suspension of the sentence for Mr. Dinh. He said that the prison would follow the provisions of the law and if they had not yet made the decision, it did not mean refusal. | |
| Dec 26,2013 | On Dec 26, 2013 the family received a letter from the An Phuoc Prison which refused to provide medical records and treatment plan with the excuse that such records and treatment plan were kept by the April 30th Hospital and the prison does not have them. | |
| Dec 25,2013 | No more bloody bowel movement but Mr. Dinh is very weak. | On Dec 25, 2013 the prison staff took him back to the An Phuoc Prison. |
| Dec 19,2013 | – After performing endoscopy on Dec 19, 2013, the April 30th Hospital discovered that the stomach area where the surgery was performed is infected; they prescribed the anti-inflammatory medication to him.- Mr. Dinh requested the April 30th Hospital to provide him with medical records and treatment plan, and they replied that “the records and treatment plan can only be provided by the order of the General Directorate VIII of the Ministry of Public Security”– Mr. Dinh protested by refusing to receive chemotherapy due to not knowing the medical records and treatment plan.- He was very excited when the family let him know that several Ambassadors have written requests for his release. | – On Dec 19, 2013 his family received a reply from the prison dated Dec 16, 2013 stating that they do not accept the family’s request for the suspension of the sentence for Mr. Dinh.- On Dec 19, 2013, his family sent letters to the April 30th Hospital, An Phuoc Prison and General Directorate VIII of the Ministry of Public Security requesting them to provide the medical records and treatment plan to him. |
| Dec 18,2013 | Mr. Dinh still has the bloody bowel movement | On Dec 18, 2013, the Ambassadors of 26 nations wrote a common letter recommending the release of Mr. Dinh. The AP press agency and VOA radio announced this news. |
| Dec 17,2013 | On Dec 17, 2013 the An Phước Prison staff took him to the April 30th Hospital for the third chemotherapy session. | |
| Dec 11,2013 | Since Dec 11, 2013 Mr. Dinh has bloody bowel movement, but the prison staff does not provide him with any treatment. | On Dec 11, 2013, one more time the family sent a request to the prison proposing for the temporary suspension of the sentence for Mr. Dinh. |
| Dec 09,2013 | The family received a request from the Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi on Dec 09,2013. The court asked the family to send them the valid court judgment for consideration of possible cassation, although the family has never requested for cassation. | |
| Nov 28,2013 | Very poor health | He was brought back from hospital to the An Phuoc Prison. |
| Nov 25,2013 | He was very anxious as he did not know the diagnostic results as well as the treatment plan | An Phuoc Prison administration sent him to the “April 30th” Hospital of the Ministry of Security Police in Ho Chi Minh City for the chemotherapy phase 2. His family was granted visitation at the hospital |
| Nov 20,2013 | His health was degenerating; vomiting frequently, lethargic; his eyes turned yellow | Family visited him for 15 minutes in the An Phuoc Prison. |
| Nov 13,2013 | His wife requested the Government a delay of serving the prison sentence because of serious disease according to §61 and §62 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code so that he can get appropriate treatment at home. She is awaiting an answer. | |
| Nov 11,2013 | His wife requested the releasing of his diagnostic results but the An Phuoc Prison denied because “it is not authorized to do it”. | |
| Nov 9,2013 | He continued vomiting bitter greenish liquid | During the visitation he informed his wife that the An Phuoc Prison cut off all medicines given to him. |
| Nov 8,2013 | He was suddenly brought back from hospital to the An Phuoc Prison. His wife requested for staying with him in the Prison and was denied. | |
| Nov 4,2013 | He went through chemotherapy phase 1; and he suffered side effects: fever, stomachache and vomiting. He was sent to emergency room. | |
| Oct 2,2013 | Dr. Vu Minh Hung informed that the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in his body. He needs to go through 8 phases of chemotherapy every 22 days for each phase of treatment | His wife requested a suspension of the sentence because of his terminal illness according to § 57 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code. The An Phuoc Prison denied because “Mr. Dinh is not qualified”. |
| Sep 18,2013 | 3/4 of his stomach was cutoff due to malignant cancer cells | |
| Sep 9,2013 | The An Phuoc Prison sent him to emergency room of the “April 30th”Hospital of the Ministry of Security Police in Ho chi minh City for treatment | |
| Sep 5,2013 | Medical Doctors of the “April 30th”Hospital in Ho chi minh City discovered a large tumor in his stomach | |
| Apr 14,2013 | He went to emergency room of Dong Xoai Hospital, Binh Phuoc Province. He still suffered stomachache afterward | |
| Jan 8,2013 | He was transferred to the An Phuoc Prison, Binh Duong Province. He suffered stomach bleeding and became very weak. | The Prison administration gave him some pain killer |
| Nov 21, 2012 | He was stricken on the head by the Security Force using police batons when he was escorted to a police van after the Appeal Court’s decision on his case | |
| Nov 20, 2012 | Attorney Nguyen Thanh Luong visited him and told the BBC that he had cerebral infarction, stomach pain and poor vision | |
| Nov 8,2012 | His wife visited him at Detention Center of Dak Nong Province and informed that he suffered stomach bleeding and his health condition is poor. Because he has requested for treatment in a hospital outside the prison he was hit on the face and strangled. | He was sent for 3-day treatment at the Clinic of the Prison; but his stomach ache is not alleviated.His wife requested permission from the prison allowing him for physical exam of his stomach, but the Prison administration did not respond |
| Aug 9,2012 | The Lower Court sentenced him to 6 years in prison on charge of “Spreading propaganda against the State of S.R. Vietnam” (§ 88, Vietnamese Criminal Code) | |
| Dec 14 -23 2011 | The Detention Center of Dak Nong Province sent him to the Psychiatry in Bien Hoa City, in an attempt to categorize him as mental ill. | |
| Oct 22 –31, 2011 | He was tortured at Detention Center of Dak Nong Province. He went through a 10-day hunger strike. During this period Mr. Dinh was severe stomach bleeding. He was taken to emergency clinic of the Prison several times but not be treated by a specialist. | |
| Oct 21,2011 | The Government Police Force arrested Mr. DINH Dang Dinh, a teacher for his propaganda against the Government of Viet Nam | |
| 2009 | Mr. Dinh suffered cerebral infraction | He was treated at the Military Hospital 175. |
Read more:
- Blogger Dinh Dang Dinh – Victim of torture and cruel treatment
- When government treats detainee’s medical records like a state secret
