Ho Chi Minh City’s Health Department has been asked to improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, strengthen epidemic prevention measures, learn and apply new medical advances, and expand international cooperation.

The exhortation by deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, Hua Ngoc Thuan, came at a meeting held February 26 to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Vietnam Doctor’s Day (February 27), which was attended by representatives of the authorities, health department, and directors and doctors of many hospitals.
Thuan praised the health department’s performance over the past few years in renovating medical equipment and technologies, adopting hi-tech approaches to major operations including organ implantation and heart surgeries, and researching and applying stem cell technology in medical treatment.
He called on the department to continue developing the city’s healthcare system to ease the overload at many hospitals and improve the quality of healthcare provided.
Seven doctors were awarded certificates of excellence by the Health Ministry at the meeting.
Seven hospitals and medical institutions were also awarded certificates for their performance last year, including Children’s Hospital II, Tropical Diseases Hospital, Hung Vuong Hospital, Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, Tam Duc Heart Hospital, the city Health Department, and the Inspectorate of the department.

The same day, city Party Committee standing deputy secretary Nguyen Van Dua led a delegation to visit and present gifts to Dr. Doan Thuy Ba, former deputy health minister and Prof. Nguyen Van Hoang Dao, former director of Hospital 175, who have made great contributions to public healthcare development.
The delegation also visited HCMC Ear-Nose-Throat Hospital’s Dr. Khuu Minh Thai, who is an exemplary Party member.
Meanwhile, the city Party Committee deputy secretary Huynh Thi Nhan and the head of the Party Committee’s Personnel and Organization Commission, Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, paid visits to many veteran doctors whose work had advanced healthcare in the city and the country as a whole.
The same day also saw the HCMC General Publishing House introduce a series of new books on general health written by well-known doctors including Dr. Luong Le Hoang and Dr. Do Hong Ngoc.