Approaching the 50th anniversary ceremony marking the day Saigon – Gia Dinh City proudly took President Ho Chi Minh’s name, Prof Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, MD PhD, Labor Hero, People’s Physician, former Vice Chairperson of the National Assembly and former Director of Tu Du Hospital, profoundly acknowledged that for every Vietnamese citizen, particularly the Southern folks, the historical milestone of reunifying the nation on April 30, 1975, alongside the momentous event of Saigon – Gia Dinh City receiving the immense honor of bearing President Ho Chi Minh’s name on July 2, 1976, consistently remain deeply engraved in their minds.
Serving as a direct witness to that incredibly heroic revolutionary historical period, the esteemed professor made a truly groundbreaking decision. She explicitly chose to stay in her homeland and firmly stand her ground alongside a city that had just stepped out of the agonizing trauma of war.
Looking back over the past 50 years, the professor shared that it feels like a movie reel rewinding through her very own life. If she had opted to leave back then, she wouldn’t have been able to witness the sprawling city phenomenally reviving day by day. Moreover, she wouldn’t have been able to join hands with her esteemed colleagues to systematically build Tu Du Hospital into the nation’s premier obstetrics and gynecology center, nor would she possess the absolute joy of watching tens of thousands of Vietnamese babies born to infertile couples let out their first cries right on their home soil.
“That is undeniably the ultimate choice of my life, brimming with grueling hardships yet incredibly rich in trust and love,” Prof Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong emphatically stated. She wisely drew a comparison, noting that much like HCMC itself, difficulties absolutely can’t force them to back down; rather, they serve as a catalyst for city dwellers to actively find a way to overcome them.
After plunging into the demanding medical profession for over half a century, the most impressive reward for the female Labor Hero isn’t simply a flashy title or a highly prestigious medal. Instead, it’s the paramount happiness of seeing babies born through in vitro fertilization now fully grown up. It’s also the profound joy of witnessing a brand-new generation of young doctors continuously keeping the flame of medical ethics alive, alongside the sheer pride she feels when her own children and grandchildren carry on as her colleagues, heavily shouldering the noble mission of caring for human life.
As a representative of the younger demographic, Dr Mai Ngoc Xuan Dat, Head of the Research Group at the Institute of Advanced Materials Science (Vietnam National University-HCM) and an Outstanding Young Citizen of HCMC in 2025, expressed immense gratitude to the preceding generations of forefathers.
He deeply appreciated those who lived, fiercely fought, relentlessly labored, and innovated with absolute love and great responsibility toward this land that holds the tremendous honor of bearing President Ho Chi Minh’s name. Those massive contributions, sacrifices, and persistent efforts have flawlessly forged a robust foundation so today’s youth can safely live, work, and continuously contribute to the city’s overall development.
Nearly two decades ago, Dr Mai Ngoc Xuan Dat arrived in HCMC equipped with the simple baggage of a young individual carrying countless dreams, fierce aspirations, and inevitable initial bewilderment. The bustling city immediately opened its arms wide to embrace him, offering robust opportunities for rigorous studying, complex research, continuous training, and profound personal growth.
Dr Mai Ngoc Xuan Dat is undeniably proud to happily live on a land that converges vibrant cultural streams from every single region of the Fatherland, perpetually keeping its doors wide open to welcome anyone harboring dreams and a burning aspiration to dedicate themselves.
For him, the pride exponentially amplifies, knowing that throughout the nation’s developmental journey, the city has persistently pioneered trailblazing innovation and comprehensive integration, maintaining its paramount role in education, economics, and science-technology. Consequently, it has organically become a great source of inspiration for the younger generation to persistently continue walking down the exact path that Uncle Ho and previous generations so bravely paved.
