Addressing the program “Organ and Tissue Donation Day, May 20 – Giving is Forever,” organized by the Ministry of Health at Hanoi Medical University, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra shared an emotional story of a 19-year-old British woman who suffered a fatal accident while travelling in Tuyen Quang province.
Despite the best efforts of Vietnamese doctors, she could not be saved. In the midst of profound grief, however, her family made the compassionate decision to donate her organs to save Vietnamese patients facing life-threatening conditions. From that decision, four patients were given a second chance at life, while two others regained their sight, the Deputy PM said, adding that the young foreign woman may have left this world, but her compassionate heart remains with the people of Vietnam.
At the event, a solemn memorial ceremony was held in tribute to tissue and organ donors whose contributions have helped save patients’ lives.
Deputy PM Pham Thi Thanh Tra said organ and tissue donors have written beautiful stories of humanity, compassion, and solidarity. She stressed that organ donation is not merely a medical act but the highest expression of humanitarian values and the philosophy that “giving is forever.”
Over the past three decades, Vietnam’s healthcare sector has made remarkable progress in mastering advanced transplant techniques, including heart, liver, lung, and pancreas transplants. Nearly 11,000 organ transplant surgeries have been successfully performed nationwide, saving thousands of patients who once had little hope of survival.
At the same time, the Deputy PM acknowledged that the demand for organ transplantation remains extremely high. Thousands of patients are still waiting for transplants, including children longing for healthy hearts and parents hoping for more time with their families.
She urged the Ministry of Health to continue improving legal frameworks and transplant coordination systems while applying science, technology, and digital transformation to enhance efficiency. She also highlighted the critical role of the media in changing public perceptions and encouraging organ donation across society.
The Deputy PM announced that she herself will register for organ donation on the occasion of the event and called on officials, youth organizations, businesses, and citizens nationwide to help spread the movement with compassion and a sense of community responsibility.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan noted that Vietnam has gradually mastered some of the world’s most complex transplant techniques since the country’s first successful kidney transplant in 1992. As of 2025, Vietnam had conducted 10,878 organ transplants, with 34 licensed hospitals now capable of performing transplant procedures.
According to the ministry, more than 177,400 people in Vietnam have registered to donate organs and tissues after death. Authorities hope the annual observance on May 20 will continue to raise awareness, honor donors, and encourage more people to join one of society's most meaningful humanitarian acts.
Ms. Dao Hong Lan affirmed that the health sector is committed to further improving institutional and policy frameworks, including submitting to the National Assembly the Law on the donation, removal, and transplantation of human tissues and organs and the donation and recovery of cadavers at its upcoming second session.
The ministry also pledged to ensure that every donated tissue and organ is utilized in the most respectful, transparent, and effective manner possible so that no act of generosity is wasted and no hope for life is left behind.
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