A difficult childhood and extraordinary determination
Born in Hue, Pham Hoa Anh soon experienced the loss of his father since he was 10 years old. With a difficult family situation, many siblings, and a hard-working mother, she could not bear the burden of raising her children.
Meanwhile, her sister was the strength that brought her younger brother to Buon Ma Thuot in the hope of changing his life through each word.
Despite his difficult childhood, Pham Hoa Anh did not hesitate, always shining with faith in the future. That is the beginning of the journey of a doctor who is always dedicated to patients in the future.
Graduated from the Central Highlands University of Medicine in 1995, the young man Pham Hoa Anh continued to pursue his dream of specialized study to treat diseases to save lives.
With that determination, this young man continued to study for a Master's degree in Medicine at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 1996.
After 3 years of tireless work in the classroom, in 1999, he became one of the youngest masters of Medicine at that time. Many opportunities opened up in the big city, but his heart was turned to Dak Lak - the place where he brought his miserable childhood.
He then joined the General Surgery Department, Dak Lak General Hospital and began his journey to bring knowledge and enthusiasm to serve the people of the Central Highlands.
"The decision to return is not simply a career choice but also a choice of the heart" - Dr. Pham Hoa Anh shared.
The doctor of difficult lives
Since 2000, participating in the Dak Lak Young Physicians Club, Doctor Hoa Anh is a familiar face in hundreds of free medical examinations and medicine distribution to ethnic minorities.
His luggage was an old medical bag, his legs were not afraid of the bumpy roads, just hoping to promptly help the patient.
After 8 years of tireless work, in 2008, he was honored as an outstanding young doctor, representing the province to Hanoi to participate in the establishment of the Vietnam Young Physicians Association.
In 2010, Dr. Hoa Anh transferred to work at Thien Hanh General Hospital, in Buon Ma Thuot City (Dak Lak). Although he is busy with surgeries, he still spends time caring for poor patients.
"The disease is inherently hard, the lack of food on the bedside makes it even more painful," Dr. Hoa Anh confided.
It was that heart that started an emotional charity journey. In 2016, the program "Diem Com Den Tuong BMT" was born from that concern.
According to Dr. Hoa Anh, he and his colleagues initially only participated in small charity activities, such as giving away meals to warm the hearts of patients.
After about 9 years, the program has spread strongly, providing more than 1.5 million meals at 15 hospitals across the province.
In 2024, the program raised 3.2 billion VND, bringing 135,000 meals. These knowing numbers reflect the community's trust in doctors with a compassionate heart.
No one is too poor to give and no one is too rich to not need to receive a smile, Dr. Hoa Anh shared her life message.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Health and Chairman of the Dak Lak Provincial Health Trade Union, said that looking back on the journey of more than two decades, people see that a doctor Pham Hoa Anh is not only a good doctor but also an active union member, a good sower.
For him, simple happiness is the smiles, faith and the eyes of hope of patients, the poor...
In January 2021, Dr. Hoai Anh and his colleagues saved a 7-year-old boy whose father suffered from mental illness and caused serious injuries. Not only did he save the child with a surgical knife, he also saved her with a heart when he himself called for more than 1.4 billion VND to support the child's education until adulthood.
It is not just an emergency, but a story of faith saving amid the midst of troubled lives.
In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hoai Anh established a COVID-19 Treatment Team at home (the decision of the Department of Health and the People's Committee of Buon Ma Thuot City). During the 4 months of operation, the team examined and provided medicine and medical supplies to nearly 2,000 patients in Dak Lak.
In 2022, he and his friends continued to leave their mark with the clean water project for the people of E De in Buon Hwie. Hundreds of households now have pure drinking water without needing to cook - a seemingly small change that has changed their whole lives here.
