Professor Mai Duy Tôn (wearing gray shirt, standing in the middle) poses for a photo with the flight crew on the flight VN19 on Monday night. — Photo nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — Professor Mai Duy Tôn, one of Việt Nam’s leading stroke specialists, who was among passengers on the flight VN19 from Hà Nội to Paris on Monday night, saved a foreign traveller who suddenly developed symptoms mid-flight.

The male passenger initially complained of pain around the ear, which rapidly progressed to paralysis on the left side of his face, along with difficulty speaking and articulating words.

The incident occurred at cruising altitude, roughly four hours into the journey.

Following a clinical assessment, Professor Tôn, Director of the Stroke Centre at Bạch Mai Hospital, determined that the case involved peripheral facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) palsy rather than an acute stroke.

The diagnosis proved decisive, alleviating mounting concern among the patient, fellow passengers and the flight crew.

In an airborne emergency, any medical decision can directly affect a passenger’s health and may even necessitate an unscheduled landing.

Professor Tôn administered on-the-spot treatment using specialist medication (corticosteroids) he had with him, while advising the captain to continue the flight rather than make an emergency diversion.

His intervention helped stabilise both the patient’s condition and the overall situation on board.

By the time the aircraft landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, the patient’s condition had stabilised and vital indicators were within safe limits.

On behalf of the crew, the captain of flight VN19 sent a letter of thanks to Professor Tôn, writing “Our sincere thanks. We wish you good health and continued success in your work.”

Speaking from France, Professor Tôn said medical professionals should always remain proactive and ready to assist whenever emergencies arise in the community.

Upon receiving the report, Đào Xuân Cơ, Director of Bạch Mai Hospital, expressed his appreciation for Professor Tôn’s sense of responsibility.

“Professor Mai Duy Tôn’s actions not only demonstrate the professional calibre of Bạch Mai Hospital’s medical staff but also stand as a vivid symbol of dedication to public health,” Cơ said.

“Wherever they may be, Bạch Mai Hospital’s doctors are ready to step forward, bringing reassurance and care to the community. This is a core value that must continue to be upheld.”

He added that the hospital’s long-term development strategy places people at its centre, with a continued focus on strengthening professional capacity so that each healthcare worker can serve as a “medical ambassador” for Việt Nam in the context of international integration.

Leading expert

Born in 1976 in the northern province of Thanh Hóa, Professor Tôn graduated in general medicine from Hanoi Medical University between 1994 and 2000, before undertaking residency training in emergency and intensive care at the same institution.

He went on to earn a master’s degree in 2009 and completed his doctoral studies nearly four years later.

In 2016, he was appointed Associate Professor of Medicine.

Nearly a decade on, having met all criteria in training, research, postgraduate supervision and professional contribution, he was promoted to full Professor in 2025, becoming one of 14 medical professors recognised that year and the youngest professor at Hanoi Medical University.

Professor Tôn has worked continuously at Bạch Mai Hospital since 2004.

He served as Deputy Head of the Emergency Department from 2019 to 2020 and has been Director of the hospital’s Stroke Centre since 2020.

In the role, with the support of the hospital’s leadership, he has focused on developing the centre to international standards while working to bring the “golden hour” of stroke treatment closer to patients nationwide.

He currently also serves as President of the Hà Nội Stroke Association and Head of the Department of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

In research, Professor Tôn has published 178 papers, including 52 in leading international journals.

He is also credited with pioneering the use of thrombolytic therapy for stroke treatment at Bạch Mai Hospital.

In 2022, he was nominated by the World Stroke Organisation as an outstanding individual in recognition of his significant contributions to the field both in Việt Nam and internationally. — VNS