5 days of Tet at medical facilities
According to a report by the Ministry of Health, summarizing 5 Tet holidays (from February 14 to February 19, 2026, i.e. from the 29th to the end of the 3rd day of Tet), the total number of examinations and emergency visits is 358,024 patient visits.
In a summary report on the examination and emergency situation during the Binh Ngo Tet holiday, the Ministry of Health said that the number of cases related to traffic accidents continued to be high. In general, during the 5-day Tet holiday (from February 14 to 19), medical facilities nationwide recorded 18,255 cases of examination and emergency suspected of being caused by traffic accidents. Notably, there were 123 deaths suspected of being related to traffic accidents.
In the first 5 days of the Lunar New Year holiday, many medical facilities across the country recorded an increase in the number of emergency patients compared to normal days. Traffic accidents, alcohol poisoning, domestic injuries and acute cardiovascular diseases continue to be the main causes of hospitalization. Medical facilities across the country still maintain 24/24 emergency operations, ensuring timely reception and treatment for patients.
Dr. Nguyen Van Nghia - A9 Emergency Center, Bach Mai Hospital - said that during the Tet holidays, the center receives over 200 emergency cases each day. Work follows, many times you no longer think you are on Tet holidays. The number of examinations and emergency visits tends to increase in the evening and early morning, concentrated in the group of domestic accidents, traffic accidents and acute diseases. The number of patients admitted to the hospital in the first days of the new year did not decrease as much as expected; even at some points there was localized overload.
We are determined to be ready, not to let patients wait. Many shifts almost have no full rest time," said Dr. Nghia.
At E Hospital, Dr. Nguyen Cong Huu - Director of the Hospital - said: New Year's Eve - when many families gather to celebrate spring, the team of doctors and nurses at E Hospital is still diligently on duty. Right after the New Year's moment, ambulances continuously brought critical patients to the hospital: from cases of septic shock, acute pancreatitis accompanied by many underlying diseases, to traffic accident victims, postoperative complications or suspected myocardial infarction. The tense emergency atmosphere lasted all night. Doctors raced with time, emergency consultations, paraclinical prescriptions, ventilator support and 24/24 monitoring to fight for the patient's life.
Such as the case of a 14-year-old patient who showed progressive abdominal pain after apendicular endoscopy, suspected intestinal obstruction and residual abscess after peritonitis surgery, forcing doctors to be on duty throughout New Year's Eve.
At the Cardiology Center, doctors urgently rescued a 19-year-old male patient who had a traffic accident, fell into critical condition, and had a sudden drop in blood pressure; monitoring closed chest and closed abdomen injuries.
Tet duty pressure weighs heavily on medical staff
Dr. Tran Van Oanh - Head of Nursing Department, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital - said that the on-duty teams work continuously, many severe cases need urgent treatment. The Tet atmosphere outside society is very different from the pace at the Emergency Department. Tet duty is not only a professional task but also a spiritual responsibility. While many families are reunited, the medical team is still on duty 24/24 hours, ready to receive and treat patients.
Tet holiday - the moment of reunion for each family - is also a time of stretching out in the emergency room. When fireworks light up on the street, it is also the time when the operating lights in the hospital stay up all night.
Doctor Pham Hai Bang - Director of the Center for Medical Examination, Emergency and Treatment during the day, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital - said: On the first day of the new year, more than 100 emergency hospitalizations were recorded. Pressure is not only in numbers. Emergency surgeries must be performed during the day, mostly severe injuries after high-speed motorbike collisions. Each surgery is a race against time, where doctors and nurses have to strain themselves to fight for the lives of patients.
According to Dr. Bang, the injury pattern during Tet holidays has hardly changed over the years: multiple injuries, traumatic brain injury, closed chest, closed abdomen... A welcome point is that the number of cases related to alcohol and beer has decreased significantly compared to previous Tet holidays. Alcohol concentration control measures have been effective, contributing to limiting tragic accidents.
However, domestic accidents are quietly increasing in the days leading up to Tet. There are many cases of slipping and falling while climbing to clean and repair houses. Some young children fall from the second floor because the stairs have not been installed with railings - fortunately saving their lives but still facing injuries. Accidents that seem simple can leave serious sequelae.
After each operating room door, the joy of reunion for patients is the sleepless nights, the late Tet holidays of the medical team. When every family gathers around the first meal of the year, they still quietly stay, keeping the pace of life for fragile hearts.
