Nguyễn Thanh Long | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 7 July 2020 – 6 June 2022[N 1] Acting: 7 July 2020 – 12 November 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Nguyễn Xuân Phúc Phạm Minh Chính |
| Preceded by | Vũ Đức Đam (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Đào Hồng Lan |
| Deputy Minister of Health | |
| In office 31 January 2020 – 7 July 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Nguyễn Xuân Phúc |
| Minister | Vũ Đức Đam (acting) |
| In office 2011–2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Nguyễn Tấn Dũng Nguyễn Xuân Phúc |
| Deputy Director ofCentral Propaganda Department | |
| In office October 2018 – 31 January 2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1966-09-03)September 3, 1966 (age 59) |
| Political party | Communist Party of Vietnam (–2022)[1] |
| Alma mater | Hanoi Medical University |
Nguyễn Thanh Long (born September 3, 1966) is a former Vietnamese politician and medical doctor who served asMinister of Health from July 2020 until his removal from theCommunist Party of Vietnam in June 2022 for involvement in theViệt Á corruption scandal. During his term as Minister of Health, he was in acting capacity from July to November 2020. He has been noted for being one of the chief strategists ofthe response of the Vietnamese government to theCOVID-19 pandemic. In January 2024, he was sentenced to 18 years inprison for takingbribes worthUSD 2.25 million and expelled from Vietnam's Communist Party.
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Long graduated in Infectious Medicine fromHanoi Medical University in 1995 and received his doctors degree in 2003. He received the title of Professor in 2013.[2] Between 2005 and 2011, he oversawHIV/AIDS prevention at the Ministry of Health and from 2011 to 2018 he served as Deputy Minister of Health, before being appointed Deputy Director of theCentral Propaganda Department. At the start of theCOVID-19 pandemic, he returned as Deputy Minister of Health and from July 2020 to June 2022 as acting Minister of Health.[3][4][5] He has been credited as one of the strategists behindVietnam's widely praised success during 2020 in responding to and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] On 12 November 2020, he officially became the Minister of Health.[7]
On 6 June 2022, thePolitburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam summoned an extraordinary meeting of the 13thCentral Committee at the Party's HQ, review and enforce disciplinary actions against Nguyễn Thanh Long and the chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Chu Ngọc Anh. After reviewing the Politburo's request, based on the content, the basis of the situation, the level of consequences and the caused of violation; according to the Party's rules on disciplining violated Party members, the Central Committee decidedexpulsion from the Party for both Long and Anh.
In the morning of 7 June 2022, with a majority in favor, theNational Assembly approved the stripping of Long's status as a member of the 15th National Assembly and approved the recommendation of his removal as the Minister of Health. President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc issued Executive Decision No.658/QĐ-CTN regarding Long's relief of duty as the Minister of Health, agreeing on the Prime Minister's recommendation, effective that day.[8]
ThePolitburo's official statement stated that: ″Comrade Nguyễn Thanh Long has severely deteriorated his political ideology and morality; has violated the law and the Party's rules; has violated the Party member's Code of Conduct, leading to the loss and waste of State Budget; severely affected the State's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; causing public outcry and affected the credibility of the Party and the Ministry of Health″.[9]
On 7 June 2022, the Investigative Department of theMinistry of Public Security announced an extended investigation into theViet A COVID-19 test kit scandal, which saw multiple high ranking officials arrested on the charges of: "Violating regulations of the law on bidding which leads to serious consequences", "Abuse of power or position in performance of official duties", "Giving Bribes" and "Receiving Bribes".[10][11]
Later that evening, alongside former chairman of the Hanoi People's CommitteeChu Ngọc Anh and former Deputy Minister of Science and TechnologyPhạm Công Tạc, Nguyễn Thanh Long was issued a Prosecution Decision, anarrest warrant and asearch warrant by the Ministry of Public Security on the charges of "abuse of power or position in performance of official duties".[12][13] He was taken into custody after a 3-hour long search at his private residence.[14]
On 12 January 2024, he was sentenced to 18 years inprison for takingbribes worthUSD 2.25 million. He was convicted of colluding with a private medical firm, namely Viet A Technology Corp to sell the COVID-19 test kits atinflated prices. He was also quoted by Phap Luat Online Newspaper as having apologised during the trial.[15]
