Behind the closed doors of operating rooms, where surgeons work tirelessly through the night with pinpoint precision, and families wait anxiously outside, lies the unwavering support of Vietnam’s healthcare system - operating seamlessly around the clock.
Historically, Vietnamese Doctors’ Day on February 27 has been a day to honour the unwavering commitment and sacrifices of medical workers. Today, however, the healthcare sector is also gaining recognition for its exceptional professional expertise, bolstered by cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art medical facilities. As a result, complex organ transplants, advanced cardiovascular interventions, and life-saving intensive care procedures are now routinely carried out with remarkable success. Increasingly, patients are placing their trust in the expertise of Vietnamese doctors rather than seeking treatment abroad.
A striking example of this occurred during the final days of the Year of the Snake, 2025. On the 27th day of the last lunar month, while families across the country prepared for the celebrations of the Year of the Horse, 2026, doctors at the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City were racing against time to save a patient suffering from severe stroke complications. After the patient was declared brain-dead, the family made the selfless decision to donate organs, saving the lives of four others. After the brain-death determination on the 28th day of the lunar month, over 200 doctors, nurses, and medical staff from multiple specialties came together to conduct five synchronised surgeries, including one organ retrieval, one heart transplant, one liver transplant, and two kidney transplants. The complex procedures were carried out overnight and completed by the 29th day of the month.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Dinh, Deputy Director of the hospital, remarked that the operations posed both significant professional and organisational challenges, especially as most of society had slowed down for the Lunar New Year.
He emphasised that the success was not only a technical achievement but also a reflection of the remarkable dedication and responsibility shown by the medical staff. Many had returned to the hospital immediately after receiving the call, even though they were traveling home for the Tet holiday. “What moved me the most was not only the technical success but the spirit of nearly 200 doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff members who came together to accomplish that extraordinary feat,” Dr. Dinh said.
He expressed deep gratitude for the team’s unwavering sense of responsibility and compassion, noting that their actions embodied true dedication to their patients.
Professional excellence and dedication
Organ transplantation, Dr. Dinh explained, is a race against time that requires flawless coordination across multiple departments, from emergency care and surgery to anesthesia, testing, blood banks, and post-transplant care. The hospital’s ability to mobilise nearly 200 staff members during the holiday period demonstrated its constant state of readiness, with no “days off” when patients' lives are at stake.
When patients pull through from the brink of death, when their vital signs stabilise and transplanted hearts begin beating strongly in new bodies, the joy shared by the entire medical team is overwhelming. And when the country welcomes the New Year, saving lives takes on an even more profound significance — offering patients and their families a new spring of hope. The four successful organ transplants at the beginning of the lunar new year not only marked a significant professional achievement but also highlighted the hospital’s strategic and long-term commitment to developing into a world-class transplant centre, meeting regional standards.
Dr. Dinh expressed his belief that this spirit of readiness, dedication, and teamwork would continue to serve as the foundation for the hospital’s sustainable growth and its mission to save even more lives in the future.
He also extended heartfelt gratitude to the donor families whose decisions, made during moments of profound loss, transformed grief into renewed life for others.
Just days ago, on the early morning of February 23, the hospital performed another life-saving heart transplant on an 11-year-old patient suffering from end-stage heart failure, using a donated heart from Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. To date, the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City has successfully carried out multiple organ transplants, saving 214 lives./.
