After a year of fighting rectal cancer, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuong (46 years old, Dong Thap province, name has been changed) continues to stay for treatment at Cho Ray Hospital (HCMC).
Mr. Phuong said that he is currently being treated according to the doctor's regimen and needs to take medicine on schedule. Coinciding with the Lunar New Year Binh Ngo 2026, he cannot return to his hometown to reunite with his family. Before New Year's Eve, he only had time to call home to instruct his children to arrange work, and then stayed at the hospital with his wife to continue the unfinished treatment journey.
Not only Mr. Phuong, at Cho Ray Hospital, many patients and relatives also choose to stay to ensure that the treatment process is not interrupted. For them, Tet this year temporarily puts aside the joy of reunion, giving way to hope for early health recovery in the coming springs.
Staying at the hospital to take care of relatives at the D Intensive Care Unit, Cho Ray Hospital, Ms. Ng. T. T. H (Gia Lai province), currently residing in room 214, could not hide her emotion when receiving attention during Tet days.
With tearful eyes, she shared that she did not think that when she came to the hospital, she would be visited, encouraged and given thoughtful gifts in the special moment of the new year. "I am really grateful to the Social Work Department and union members for visiting and sharing with my family at this time," Ms. H said.
For relatives who are on duty day and night taking care of their loved ones, that timely care is not only a material gift but also a valuable source of spiritual encouragement in the spring days away from home.
Sharing about visiting and giving Tet gifts to relatives of patients, Master Le Minh Hien, Head of the Social Work Department (CTXH), Cho Ray Hospital, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Health Sector Social Work Association, said that this is a program that has been maintained for the past four years.
According to Mr. Hien, New Year's Eve is the most sacred and precious moment of the year. However, many seriously ill patients cannot be discharged from the hospital, and relatives have to stay at the hospital to take care of them and listen to treatment information every day.
Understanding that disadvantage, the Social Work Department coordinated with philanthropists to go to each room at relative's guesthouses to visit, give Tet cakes and lucky money at the beginning of the year to encourage the spirit of patients and their families. "Some relatives were moved to tears, and some shared that they no longer had tears to cry, only knowing to believe in the expertise of doctors. Those moments further motivated us to maintain this activity every Tet holiday," Mr. Hien shared.
On the occasion of the New Year, Mr. Hien sent wishes to patients and their families to always be steadfast, believe in the treatment process, and soon recover their health to reunite with their loved ones.
