Academician DUONG QUANG TRUNG - a typical doctor.
As a Hero of Labor, a People's Doctor, and an Academician, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG, a Party member absolutely loyal to the Communist Party during the past 56 years, and with 50 years of professional activities, has devoted all of his soul, intelligence and energy to the healthcare system in Viet Nam.
He was born in An Xuyen commune, a poor countryside in the province Ca Mau. DUONG QUANG TRUNG, whose father was a patriotic confucian scholar, was taught to express a love and compassion for his countrymen, and to scarify for the country and for everyone. After having finished the high school level in Saigon, he decided to pursue a medical career to save lives following his mother’s job, a devoted midwife.
In 1948, he went to France for study and has successfully graduated from the University of Bordeaux with a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) diploma in medicine in 1958. He was admitted to the French Communist Party since 1952, participating in activities in favor of resistance and against the aggressive war in Vietnam.
He returned to Viet Nam in 1960 and lived in Hanoi. At that time, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG was working at the Central Tuberculosis Institute as Deputy Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery. He also helped Prof. TON THAT TUNG establish the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Viet Nam – Germany Friendship Hospital.
In 1965, former late Minister of Health – Dr. PHAM NGOC THACH initiated a project to send well-qualified healthcare officials to the battlefield in the South. Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG volunteered to return to the South contributing his efforts in the anti- American war.
In June 1965, he was requested to function secretly in the inner city of Sai Gon - Gia Dinh besides his mission of providing healthcare to senior executives. In the offensive uprising in spring 1968 on the occasion of the Vietnamese Tet holidays (Mau Than - Year of Monkey), he and his teammates organized secret trips to war zone for patriotic personalities and intellectuals, such as Lawyer TRINH DINH THAO, Professor NGUYEN VAN KIET, Doctor DUONG QUYNH HOA, Engineer NGUYEN VAN BON..., for the establishment of the Provisional Revolutionary Government in the Republic of South Vietnam.
After the liberation of the South, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG held office as Director of Health Department in Ho Chi Minh City until 1997. The Health Department in Ho Chi Minh City initially belonged to the Military Management Committee of Sai Gon – Gia Dinh region and then to the People Committee in Ho Chi Minh City.
A great event occurred in Ho Chi Minh city in October 4, 1988. Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG, Director of Health Department in Ho Chi Minh City, has coordinated a historic surgical intervention to split a twin, namely Viet Nam – Germany boy couple. This operation gathered nearly 70 well-known medical experts and lasted more than 15 hours, successfully separating the 2 boys who were considered the most complicated and oldest twin in the world at that time. This success has also noted in the Guinness Book of Records, marking the effective coordination and cooperation as well as the maturation of city healthcare system.
In late 80s, Director of the Health Department, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG laid a solid foundation for an effective cooperation between the city’s healthcare system and the Alain Carpentier Association (France) represented by Prof. Alain Carpentier, its chairman, aimed at building a modern heart institute in the city. Over 17 years, 4682 poor patients have received partial or full financial support for heart surgeries with a total amount of money over 101 billion VND. Among them, over 1900 such patients were exempted of the cost of surgical interventions. The Heart Institute has transferred its advanced techniques to many central and provincial hospitals. In December 11, 2006, the Heart Institute was awarded the title ‘Hero of Labor’ in the period of global integration and renovation.
In 1989, as Head of the city healthcare system, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG requested the City’s People Committee and the Government to permit the foundation of a medical school for the city. This establishment was called the University Training Center (UTC) for Professional Healthcare Staff in Ho Chi Minh, and became a model of educational reform to train community-oriented general doctors. He was appointed as first Rector at the UTC after the approval of the Municipal Party Committee and the Government. Graduate doctors follow a novel model of training and education that allows them to have a solid base of fundamental sciences of medicine and simultaneously to practice at hospitals and in the community, having access to the healthcare network. The model ‘university – hospitals – community’ was considered as an innovative policy, making effective contributions to enforce the city healthcare network.
On December 28, 2007, the UTC has formally organized a graduating ceremony for the 13th regular full-time training promotion and the 4th four-year on-the-job training promotion. Until that time, thousands of general practitioners and nurses have graduated and worked at both central and municipal health facilities... The UTC has greatly developed and become a trusted medical training center. In January 7, 2008, the Prime Minister officially signed a Decision to establish PHAM NGOC THACH University of Medicine on the basis of the UTC.
In 2013, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG was already 85 years old, but still full of health and energy. He took part in teaching at PHAM NGOC THACH University of Medicine and worked as Head of the Institute of Public Health Development. He also participated in other professional societies, such as President of Ho Chi Minh City Medical Association, Vice President of Vietnam General Medical Association, Chairman of Sai Gon - Gia Dinh Military Medical Association, President of Private Medical Association, and charitable organizations, such as Honorary President of Children Sponsoring Association, President of Agent Orange Fund Management Council, and Unfortunate Patient Sponsoring Association...
The Communist Party and the Government highly appreciated his merit and awarded him many honorable titles: Badge of sixty-year loyalty to Party, People Physician (1995), Hero of Labor (2003), Diplomas and Certificates of Merits as well as other numerous honorable medals. Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG has received the people’s confidence, colleagues’ respect and generations of students’ love and esteem.
In June 22, 2013, Dr. DUONG QUANG TRUNG passed away, leaving an infinite grief for generations of medical doctors in the whole country and in Ho Chi Minh city, for colleagues at the Department of Health, and for generations of medical students at PHAM NGOC THACH University of Medicine.