Doctor Nguyễn Xuân Lam checks a patient. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY At the age of 75, when most people have chosen a peaceful retirement surrounded by their children and grandchildren, Major Dr Nguyễn Xuân Lam, director of Yersin International Clinic in HCM City, still works tirelessly every day.

After devoting his youth to serving on the battlefield in Cambodia, the former military doctor entered peacetime with the same spirit of dedication, sharing his medical knowledge and maintaining his commitment to community service.

Starting a business at 60 years old

Once Lam graduated from Hà Nội Medical University in 1975, he enlisted in the Việt Nam People's Navy, where he was responsible for providing medical care and treatment to servicemen.

When the war on the southwestern border broke out, he was appointed head of the combined military-civilian medical station in Cambodia’s Kompong Som Province.

Lam left the military in 1989 after the war ended with the rank of Major.

Following his discharge, Lam worked at the Centre for Science and Technology Applications under the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology, while pursuing a university degree in economics.

Just when it seemed that he had left the medical profession behind, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment came into effect in 2011, providing a clear legal framework and promoting the rapid development of Việt Nam’s private healthcare sector.

At that point, the former soldier’s passion for medicine was rekindled. He decided to invest in and establish Yersin International Clinic in HCM City, with a staff of around 150.

Lam said that he has restarted his career three times.

“The first came when I left school to enlist in the military and serve on the battlefield. The second began after I was discharged from the military and took a position at a State agency unrelated to medicine,” Lam said.

“And the third venture came when I was already in my sixties."

He named the clinic after French doctor Alexandre Yersin, hoping to make the renowned doctor's spirit of public service and dedication to patient care the guiding principles of its operations.

The private clinic has been operating for over a decade and has contributed to easing the overload of the city’s public healthcare sector.

For the doctor, investing in healthcare services is not just a way to make a profit, but also satisfies his desire to help patients with advanced techniques.

This is why his clinic has consistently prioritised investment in new technologies over the years.

It was among the first healthcare providers in Việt Nam to adopt AI in gastrointestinal endoscopy and introduce a new-generation MRI system, helping doctors make earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

Through its focus on diagnostic and preventive healthcare, the clinic also seeks to help ease the burden on higher-level hospitals.

Asked about enjoying his retirement, Lam said: “The clinic is a place where I meet and talk with many people. I can use my knowledge and expertise to give advice and consultancy to those in need.

“I feel that my mind is still clear, my body is still healthy and I am still able to make a useful contribution to society. In its own way, this is also a form of ‘active retirement’.”

Active contributor

Lam is also known as an active community participant, with current membership in 23 associations and organisations.

In his local community, he also serves in a number of positions, including Party cell secretary, residential group leader, head of the neighbourhood Fatherland Front Committee and head of local branches of the Veterans Association, Red Cross and Association for the Elderly.

At the recent Congress of Delegates of the Hồ Chí Minh City Association for the Elderly, Lam was elected to its Executive Committee with broad support from delegates.

Huỳnh Thành Lập, vice president of the Việt Nam Association for the Elderly and head of the representative board of the HCM City Association for the Elderly, said that at the age of 75, the former soldier had emerged from war, but remains enthusiastic about contributing to society.

In addition to creating jobs for workers, he is also willing to extend a helping hand to other elderly people, Lập said.

“Dr Lam is an exemplary representative of older people in HCM City. He sets a positive example, inspires others and helps spread positive values throughout the community,” Lập added.

After experiencing the hardships of war, Lam has a particularly deep understanding of the losses and long-term consequences it left behind.

Motivated by this understanding, he and his colleagues at the clinic have organised numerous trips over the years to provide free medical examinations and medicines for poor people, veterans and ethnic communities in Tây Ninh, Bình Phước, Long An, the Central Highlands and central provinces.

Since 2021, Lam has donated more than VNĐ2 billion (US$76,000) to charitable activities, including support for the construction of houses for families with contributions to the nation, scholarships for disadvantaged students with a strong commitment to their studies and rural infrastructure projects.

For his quiet contributions, Lam has received numerous certificates of merit from the HCM City People's Committee, the Việt Nam Veterans Association and the Việt Nam Association of Veterans Entrepreneurs, among others.

For him, however, the greatest reward is bringing happiness to others.

“Being a decent person is not easy, but maintaining dignity and decency, living in accordance with the law and knowing how to share with the community are principles I have always upheld and passed on to my children and grandchildren,” Lam said.

The grey-haired former military doctor continues to devote himself every day to running his clinic and community work.

His life is a vivid testament to the enduring spirit of service embodied by the Hồ Chí Minh-era soldier in peacetime, making him an exemplary older citizen and a role model for younger generations to learn from and follow. VNS