VIETNAM WAITS FOR DRUG IMPORTS TO IMPLEMENT LETHAL INJECTION

June 14, 2012: The Ministry of Public Security is waiting for drug imports from the Health Ministry to begin administering lethal injections, which became Vietnam's official execution method last November.
Minister Tran Dai Quang told a National Assembly session that the ministry has prepared staff and equipment to switch the death sentence method from firing squad to lethal injection, but it is waiting for the Health Ministry to import three kinds of drugs needed for the procedure, according to a news website VnExpress report.
Quang said he would suggest domestic production of the drugs to implement the new law “in time” if it becomes difficult to import them.
Given the high number of death sentence prisoners, he said the ministry has considered building injection stations at five different regions across the country.
“Nearly 500 people have been trained to do the injection job,” the minister said. (Sources: thanhniennews.com, 15/06/2012)