Decisive and timely decisions, along with the skilled hands of Dr. Dang Thi Thanh – Head of the Obstetrics Department (Dien Bien Provincial Hospital) – have saved many mothers and newborns.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan from Mường Chà District was 36 weeks pregnant when her family rushed her to the Dien Bien Provincial Hospital in a state of pre-eclampsia, facing high risks of mortality. “We must operate!” – This was the firm decision made by Dr. Dang Thi Thanh during the emergency consultation meeting of the department.
Immediately following this, the surgery, presided over by her, was conducted, and 30 minutes later, two lives were saved from the grip of death. Dr. Thanh returned to her office amidst the joy and admiration of her colleagues for her decisive ability and extensive professional experience, deserving of the title of Outstanding Physician awarded by the state.
After graduating from Hanoi Medical University in 1980, she began working at the provincial hospital, which at that time lacked sufficient facilities. Nevertheless, she diligently researched and successfully implemented the method of using a non-drug artificial amniotic sac, reducing mortality during abortions.
As a result, after three years, the newly graduated student was promoted to Head of the Obstetrics Department. She recounted that many patients came from far-off districts, traveling 100 to 200 kilometers, such as Sin Ho (now part of Lai Chau Province), or patients from some northern provinces of Laos with ruptured uteri, whom the district hospitals could not “handle.” They had no choice but to tie their bellies tightly with cloth and travel for an entire day by horse, in excruciating pain, until they finally reached the provincial hospital for emergency care.
Many cases were saved in time, and to this day, she cannot recall the names of all the patients who escaped death. In early October, along with patient Nguyen Thi Lan, there were also mothers like Quang Thi Hoa, Lo Thi Tuoi, and others who had to undergo “emergency” operations, saving three babies weighing between 0.9 – 1.1 kg each, currently being cared for in the incubators in the pediatric department.
Today, with significant advancements in medical science, even a delay of a few seconds can make it difficult to save a mother’s life. Therefore, in her role as department head, she always encourages her staff, nurses, and doctors to be dedicated and quick in assisting patients, especially those in critical condition…
Over the past 25 years, she has accumulated practical experience and learned from colleagues at Tu Du Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital, and through correspondence and video exchanges, which she consistently shares with her colleagues.
For newly graduated doctors, she mentors them in diagnosing and anticipating difficult births, guiding them in surgical assistance, cesarean section procedures, partial and total hysterectomies, and gynecological tumor surgeries. Fourteen midwives have been trained in monitoring and caring for patients, assisting in deliveries, and installing contraceptive devices…
With a rational division of labor in the profession, where each individual excels in their assigned tasks, she has helped the department operate more smoothly in a general hospital that frequently faces overload. As a result, the department has continuously received accolades for being an outstanding unit from the Ministry of Health and the provincial government, maintaining a strong and clean party organization.
Le Hong
Le Hong
