Dr Trần Chánh Xuân, deputy director of Củ Chi District Hospital, hands over discharge papers to COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the disease. VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY — The HCM City Party Committee on Friday honoured 233 outstanding  for their excellence in studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, particularly their efforts in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr Trần Chánh Xuân, deputy director of Củ Chi District Hospital in the city’s outlying area, was one of the outstanding models. 

Xuân helped develop advanced techniques in traumatology and orthopaedics so that patients could be treated at the hospital instead of being transferred to city-level hospitals.

In November 2016, Xuân and his colleagues performed a high-tech total hip replacement surgery on a male patient with hip osteoarthritis due to complications from a traffic accident years ago. Since then, the doctors have performed hundreds of hi-tech surgeries on patients living in the district.

Dr Hồ Hải Trường Giang, the hospital’s director, said: “In the past, patients who suffered from severe conditions relating to trauma and orthopaedics were transferred to People’s Hospital 115 and others. We are confident that we perform these surgeries well.”

Dr Xuân added: “I want residents in the city’s outlying districts to be able to access high-tech healthcare services. This helps patients to reduce costs for treatment and time for travel.”  

Xuân is one of 30 doctors and nurses at the hospital to volunteer to work at Củ Chi Field Hospital to treat COVID-19 patients.

The city Department of Health assigned Xuân to be deputy director of the Củ Chi Field Hospital because of his expertise and prestige.

Dr Kim Phúc Thành, head of the general planning division at Thủ Đức District Hospital in the city’s outlying area, is another outstanding individual honoured for excellence in studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle.

Thành, 35, has 12 years of experiences and is trusted by the hospital’s leaders and colleagues.

The hospital sees 6,000-7,000 patients every day, requiring its health staff to work hard to meet demand and not make mistakes.

Besides tasks at the hospital, Dr Thành is known for his participation in charity health examination and treatment programmes.  

“People in remote areas in the country cannot access healthcare services provided by hospitals. We give priority to them in the charity health examination and treatment programmes,” Thành said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the Cần Giờ COVID-19 Treatment Hospital was set up by the Department of Health. Thành was assigned to become head of the hospital’s general planning division.

Thành saw that residents living on Cần Giờ Island had problems accessing healthcare services. He spoke with the leader of Thủ Đức Hospital about improving the quality of of Cần Giờ District Health Centre.

Thành volunteered to provide technical assistance to the centre’s doctors and nurses, which improved residents' access to healthcare services.

Dr Nguyễn Ngọc Sang, secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union at Chợ Rẫy Hospital, was honoured for his achievement in working for charity health examination and treatment programmes in the city and areas near border gates and islands nationwide.

Sang is one of the doctors treating COVID-19 patients at the hospital.

Speaking at the ceremony, the secretary of the city Party Committee, Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, said that the honorees' "useful work" helped people's lives. He said they were "enterprising people" who have shown silent dedication to the city's development. VNS