After 70 years (February 27, 1955 - February 27, 2025), the health sector is not only a symbol of knowledge and sacrifice, but also a testament to the power of compassion and the will to persevere.
In a place dedicated to the sick
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Director of the A9 Emergency Center - shared that the Center receives an average of 250-300 patients per day, of which 70% are severe and acute cases, with the level of intervention requiring specialization transferred from many provinces and cities in the Northern region.
"The A9 Emergency Center has more than 200 staff, experts, and doctors. Our pressure is quite large, because this is the place that initially had an immediate impact on the patient and family. Our center is overloaded all year round. The bed capacity is always used at 150-200%" - Associate Professor, Dr. Anh Tuan said.
Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co - Director of Bach Mai Hospital - said that the hospital has faced great financial difficulties, from investing in facilities and equipment to retaining good human resources. For 3 years ( pre-COVID), the hospital struggled to maintain operations, especially in 2022, although the number of patients increased dramatically, revenue was still limited, not enough to pay for personnel, not to mention investing in equipment or renovating infrastructure.
"The hospital has gone through a period of serious shortage of medical equipment, from the field of diagnostic imaging, equipment to oncology, nuclear medicine. The types of Pet machines and Gamma knives have completely stopped working" - Associate Professor Co recalled.
Overcoming difficulties, Bach Mai Hospital is now a pioneer in applying digital technology in healthcare management. The Bach Mai Care application supports patients to book examination schedules, monitor treatment, receive remote consultation, and improve service experience. The hospital is also a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnosis and treatment, helping to detect complex diseases such as cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease early, improve accuracy and shorten treatment time.
Consecutive miracles
2024 ended with many outstanding events and in which the Vietnamese organ transplant industry made a strong impression when two events related to organ transplants were honored as one of the typical medical events of the year.
Breakthrough organ transplants such as simultaneous heart-liver transplants at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital and lung transplants have been successfully performed, affirming the technical capacity of Vietnamese doctors. These surgeries not only save patients' lives but also demonstrate modern surgical procedures, on par with international standards.
In 2024, there were 41 cases of organ donation after brain death - a record number, many times higher than previous years. This figure shows a positive change in public awareness and the effectiveness of organ donation campaigns.
The system of organ registration, coordination and interdisciplinary cooperation between public and private hospitals have created favorable conditions for increasing organ donation sources, while quickly resolving emergency cases and saving the lives of many patients.
In the first months of 2025, the team of pediatricians 1 and Tu Du Hospital coordinated to perform cross-entitral heart transplant to save the life of the first fetus with severe heart failure in Vietnam as well as Southeast Asia. This technique requires a lot of medical skills, currently only a few places in the world can do it. The work was honored as one of the 12 medical achievements of Vietnam in 2023. To date, many babies are born healthy after correcting heart defects in the mother's womb.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien - President of the Vietnam Association for Tissue and parts Donation, former Minister of Health - shared: Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian country on the list of countries performing more than 1,000 organ donations each year since 2022. Over 30 years of organ transplants, with the first kidney transplant in June 1992.
By the end of 2024, Vietnam had performed 9,516 cases nationwide with the participation of 27 hospitals and centers. In the past 3 years, Vietnam has successfully performed more than 1,000 organ transplants each year, the highest in Southeast Asia.
In 2024, the health sector will focus on perfecting institutions and removing obstacles in management. The Ministry of Health advises the Government to submit to the National Assembly amendments to the Law on Pharmacy, the Law on Health Insurance and issue policies on procurement, bidding, and health insurance payment. The quality of medical examination and treatment has been improved, applying advanced techniques, especially focusing on caring for the elderly, mothers, children, the poor and ethnic minorities.
The industry has achieved many important achievements: the number of doctors per 10,000 people reached 14, with 34 beds, and the health insurance participation rate reached 94.1%. Dangerous infectious diseases are controlled, in particular, the industry has exceeded 8/9 targets assigned by the Government, affirming the determination and capacity of the industry.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan commented that over the past 70 years, the Vietnamese health sector has achieved many outstanding achievements, with a modern hospital and medical center system, meeting health care needs and being internationally recognized. The application of technology and scientific research helps the industry innovate and integrate globally.
In the context of extensive integration, Vietnamese healthcare continues to apply high technology to diagnosis, treatment, management, creating a premise for sustainable development, while improving professional qualifications through international cooperation, affirming its position in the world.
