City reborn: HCMC’s triumphant recovery, development

Navigating through fierce headwinds

In those dark days, HCMC became a national epicenter of the pandemic, a period of immense hardship. As the virus eventually receded, it left a trail of devastation. Businesses were pushed to the brink of collapse and tens of thousands of workers found themselves without jobs. The economy, the city’s lifeblood, seemed to be gasping for air as the budget dwindled.

But from these ashes, the city began the arduous task of getting back on its feet. A raft of emergency support policies was swiftly rolled out, ranging from social welfare packages for the poor and preferential credit lines for businesses to more ambitious, long-term projects, including a renewed commitment to public healthcare.

On a warm afternoon in mid-August 2025, a tangible sign of this recovery was seen as 77-year-old Nguyen Thi Phung, a resident of Thanh My Tay Ward, took a tour of the city with her friends on the newly operational Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien).

“My house was partially affected during the construction of this metro line, so I’ve been looking forward to this day for a very long time”, she said, her voice filled with emotion. “I’m just so happy to finally see the trains running.”

Bringing the city’s first metro line into service was a monumental effort. In a post-Covid landscape fraught with difficulties, from personnel shortages to supply chain disruptions, the city persevered. When the first train made its trial run, the excitement was palpable.

For the people of HCMC, this wasn’t just a train; it was the culmination of a nearly 20-year wait, a powerful symbol of the city’s journey through adversity. This sentiment was perfectly encapsulated by Nguyen Van Nen, the HCMC Party Secretary at the time, who noted that the city’s entire political apparatus had united to navigate the “fierce headwinds” and steer toward recovery.

Rising stronger from crisis

In the wake of the pandemic, HCMC made a decisive push to fortify its healthcare system. Three major “gateway” hospitals were constructed and brought online in the formerly city and districts of Thu Duc, Cu Chi, and Hoc Mon. The objective was to create vital medical anchors that could alleviate the immense pressure on downtown hospitals, serving not only HCMC’s 10 million-plus residents but also patients from neighboring provinces.

After a week of care at Thu Duc Regional General Hospital, Vu Ngoc Hieu from Dong Nai Province couldn’t stop singing his praises. Following a traffic accident, he received dedicated treatment in a spacious, modern facility. “My recovery was incredibly fast”, he reported.

The hospital’s director Cao Tan Phuoc, MD PhD, explained that with its state-of-the-art equipment, the 1,000-bed hospital now handles over 3,000 outpatient visits and up to 700 inpatient cases daily, with nearly half of all patients coming from outside the city.

Social security also became a cornerstone of the recovery. Support policies for disadvantaged citizens were sustained, and many localities established social security centers to provide essential goods to the needy. These centers remain active today, offering a reliable safety net. Thanks to these concerted efforts, HCMC achieved its sustainable poverty reduction goals two years ahead of schedule, with the poverty rate dropping to just 0.33 percent by 2024.

The city’s government also stepped in to act as a crucial intermediary, a “matchmaker” connecting struggling businesses with banks. This provided a vital shot in the arm, as thousands of billions of VND in capital flowed back into the economy, re-establishing supply chains and creating jobs.

HCMC’s economy roared back to life. From a staggering -6.78 percent in 2021, the city’s GRDP jumped to an impressive 9.03 percent in 2022 and has maintained strong growth since. Public investment disbursement was accelerated, and massive infrastructure projects were launched. Beyond Metro Line No. 1, Thu Thiem 2 Bridge (now Ba Son Bridge) opened in April 2022, and work on Ring Roads 3 as well as 4 has progressed at an unprecedented pace.

Throughout this period, the city has relentlessly pursued urban renewal, ranging from renovating old apartment blocks, upgrading canal-side slums, and tackling traffic bottlenecks. A series of social housing projects were activated, while many alleys were widened with the consensus of residents donating land.

Even as it managed the complex administrative merger with two neighboring provinces, the city’s public servants remained steadfast, ensuring that services to citizens and businesses continued uninterrupted. That spirit shows a dynamic and pioneering city in institutional reform.

Looking back, HCMC weathered the storm with an iron will and a compassionate heart. The image of a metropolis “resilient in the storm” now serves as the bedrock of belief for its future, where it will continue to lead, not just for its own prosperity, but “for the entire nation, and with the entire nation”.