President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (front row, middle) met with 150 exemplary doctors and medical workers in Hà Nội on Sunday to celebrate Vietnamese Physicians' Day. VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc sent his congratulations and sincere thanks on Sunday to the country's 500,000 medical workers, marking the 67th anniversary of the Vietnamese Physicians’ Day (February 27).

The President met with 150 exemplary doctors and medical workers at the Presidential Palace in Hà Nội to celebrate the occasion.

Speaking at the meeting, President Phúc said he highly valued the medical sector’s efforts and contributions in the fight against the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

Their work, along with teachers, was one of the most appreciated occupations in Việt Nam, he stressed.

In the past 67 years and especially during the last two years, the medical sector had always followed President Hồ Chí Minh’s guidance and fought the pandemic against all odds, Phúc added.

“Images of medical staff in protective clothing, working day and night, devoting themselves to the job, have been imprinted on the people’s minds,” he said. “They are the white-blouse soldiers who do not mind sacrifice and struggle, leaving children and parents behind for months to go to the epicentres of the pandemic.

“These thousands of medical workers deserve to be honoured as heroes, not only for their kindness and sympathy but also their incredible strength and endurance”.

President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (right) gives presents to Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long

The President expressed his joy over the country’s medical achievements, as Việt Nam was one of the few countries with a thorough grassroots medical system that reaches the smallest of villages and provides services to every citizen.

Several of the people’s health indexes had improved and become better than countries with the same level of per capita income. A lot of Vietnamese doctors had received international critical acclaim for performing complex procedures and treating fatal diseases.

He asked the sector to keep strengthening its capability and applying digital technology to build upon the foundations of science, the people, and international integration.

Their living standards, integrity and credibility must also be taken care of, he said, especially those working in low-income areas and high-risk environments. Support policies for the grassroots and preventive medicinal systems should not only solve short-term problems but also basic, long-term ones.

The President gives presents to a representative of the medical sector

The President highlighted digital transformation as a top priority for the development of the sector. It needed to be done quickly and drastically to meet people’s and society’s needs and expectations, and to develop medical services into an important part of the economy.

He expressed hope that medical workers across the country would continue working to control COVID-19 and reduce its consequences, especially the widespread Omicron variant. VNS