Professor, journalist, teacher and revolutionary
Dr. Nguyen Duy Cuong was awarded the title of Labor Hero yesterday for his significant contributions to Viet Nam’s health system.
As Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Cuong was responsible for replacing the industry’s former pricing system, which was characterized by wide regional differences in cost, with a “one-price” policy that greatly benefited the ordinary consumer.
In 1989, he also approved a decision allowing individual pharmacists to open private pharmacies.
Dr. Cuong also established Medicine and Health Magazine, which aimed to increase the public’s understanding of basic health practices and provide up-to-date information on new drugs.
During 15 years as the magazine’s editor-in-chief, he contributed more than 800 articles to the publication. The magazine currently has a readership of some 50,000 copies per month.
“Despite being 82 years old, he (Dr. Cuong) is still dedicated to his work. He definitely deserves the Labor Hero title” Dr. Pham Manh Hung, deputy chief of the Central Department of Propaganda and Training and vice chairman of Viet Nam’s Union of Science and Technology Association, said at the awards ceremony.
When nearing the age of 80, Dr. Cuong was still teaching 150 classes per year on subjects that few people had much experience in, including health and pharmaceutical economics, policy and management.
Known throughout the world, he is currently working as Vice Chairman of the Association of French-Speaking Pharmacists, Academician of France’s National Academy of Pharmacy.
“Thanks to the great support of the Communist Party and the government, I was always able to find a way to help this industry overcome the difficulties it faced during its transition to the current system,” said Dr. Cuong at the ceremony.
