In the days when the whole country is looking forward to the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), we visit the People's Doctor, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Trung Chien - former Minister of Health.
Many people know that she was the first female Minister of Health, but few people know that she had spent decades working in health care in the Southern battlefield, going through many hardships in caring for war invalids and civilians, and building a health system after the country's reunification.
Familiar with the name "six-Winter Solstice", many people do not forget the image of a small but resilient woman amid the war against the SARS pandemic in 2003 in Vietnam - one of the stressful times of the country's health sector.
She shared with us her memories of her journey against the SARS pandemic. At the end of February 2003, a foreign patient was hospitalized in Hanoi with symptoms of fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. After that, many doctors and nurses also suffered similar symptoms. virus SARS officially appeared in Vietnam.
At that time, Ms. Chien was working in the South. Immediately after a call from WHO doctor Carlo Urbani about an unidentified virus, she took action. The situation is about to become serious, I am not afraid and ready to take responsibility, she recounted a detail at a meeting with the health sector at that time.
And at that time, the Emergency dichemic Prevention Task Force was established. Immediately, the work of isolation, isolation, and monitoring of patient contacts was deployed. The Ministry of Health coordinates with ministries and branches to build field hospitals, send helicopters to transport equipment and human resources.
The days of anti -epidemic are stress without rest. Mrs. Chien went to the hospital, visited, encouraged doctors, shared the joy of having the first patient to be discharged from the hospital. When the suspect stopped, she asserted: "I went there to declare to the whole world that Vietnam successfully treated Sars infected people."
After the epidemic was controlled, Ms. Chien was invited to the US to attend the conference to share Vietnam's experience in fighting the SARS epidemic.
After retiring, Assoc.Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Trung Chien contributed to the establishment of the Southern People's Committee of the Southern People's Committee - the place where the generations of doctors used to stick with.
Every year, on the occasion of April 30, it becomes a special moment for old health workers - whether they are still working or retired together, reviewing the memory of "giving birth to death", adding motivation for young people, connecting those who go ahead.
From the idea of gratitude and traditional education, she and her colleagues celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Southern Health Sector at the Central Committee for the Central Committee of the Southern Department. Nearly 1,000 people attended the inauguration ceremony of 9 statues: Uncle Ho and 8 typical physicians such as Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Tue Tinh, Doctor Yersin, Prof. Pham Ngoc Thach, Nguyen Van Huong, Nguyen Van Thu, Truong Cong Trung, Duong Quynh Hoa ... Each person is a vivid symbol of the spirit of overcoming difficulties, dedicating to the people's health.
In my heart, I still hope that the future generation of the medical industry will strive, take responsibility for themselves as well as their work. In the context of a market economy, if not skillful, doctors can follow personal interests without remembering responsibility and medical ethics. Putting your heart into work is very important to overcome these challenges and become a valuable doctor, respected by society, as Uncle Ho taught "a doctor is like a gentle mother". At the same time, we must continue to study, not be subjective with what we have. Although the younger generation today is very smart and talented, they need to constantly learn, absorb world science, exploit and create in Vietnam. Patients are the basis for developing medical science, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Trung Chien shared.
