(VOVworld) – Director of the National Pediatrics Hospital, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Liem, was awarded the title Labor Hero in the renewal process after a series of successes in Vietnam’s pediatric sector. His achievements, which have received international acclaim, have included a surgical separation of conjoined twins. During his 40 years in the profession, Professor Liem has received many honorary titles and awards.
 |
A Vietnamese Talent Awards for medicine was given to Doctor Liem for his study of endoscopic surgery on children. His study gained Vietnam’s pediatric profession international recognition. Since 1993, when he first studied endoscopic surgery techniques, Doctor Liem has turned the National Pediatrics Hospital into an international center for endoscopic surgery. He performed the first kidney transplant in Vietnam and the first endoscopic surgery on children at an international standard. He has had 40 studies on endoscopic surgery published in professional journals. Doctor Liem told us: "I’ve received many awards of which I’m proud. But the most important thing to me is that I’ve been living, working, and devoting my whole heart."
Liem says self-study is an essential task that a physician should practice for his whole life. He and his colleagues have studied, innovated, and tested many surgical techniques. They have successfully performed many complicated pediatric surgeries. Doctor Liem again: "I often tell my colleagues we should think of our patients as close relatives, the only child in our family, or the successor of our clan. When we conduct a surgery, we are under great pressure because our failure will result in unthinkable losses. We have to always carefully weigh applying new technology because the patient’s safety is the foremost consideration."
Although Professor Liem is always busy with research and surgeries, he maintains close relationships with his patients, which he says gives the patients encouragement. He has saved many lives and become a close friend of their families. Trinh Quoc Phong of Hai Phong city says Director Liem performed a kidney transplant for his 6-year old daughter who had suffered kidney failure. "I had regular contact with Doctor Liem during my daughter’s treatment. He is gentle, tender, and careful with the patients. His view is that everything is for the children’s health and future. He arranged the best possible conditions for my daughter’s operation and it was a success. We feel great gratitude to the doctors," Phong said.
Doctor Liem’s colleagues respect the compassion that motivates him to look for the best treatment methods to save his patients. They call him honorable teacher Liem. Doctor Le Anh Dung says: "I followed Professor Liem for some time and he taught me carefully. I learned a lot from him – to be industrious, active, and creative. He is a good model of Uncle Ho’s saying “a good physician is a tender mother.”
As a manager, Doctor Liem asks his colleagues to commit themselves to a lifetime of study. Learning foreign languages is also important. Professor Liem says: "Over the past decade, the National Pediatrics Hospital has used English at regular meetings and in professional training courses. It’s a way for the doctors to improve their English communication skills. We established the Institute for Children’s Health Study, which uses English for teaching. My colleagues and I have had had our studies published in international publications. We have sent our doctors to international conferences to introduce Vietnam’s achievements in pediatric surgery internationally."
The Party and State conferred the honorary title Labor Hero on Doctor Liem for his valuable contributions to the pediatric sector. But for him, the most precious award is each child’s good health after treatment.