Exactly 71 years ago, on February 27, 1955, Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh sent a letter to the National Medical Officers’ Conference. Although brief, the letter has since become the guiding principle for all activities within the national healthcare sector. Since 1985, February 27th has been officially designated as Vietnamese Doctors’ Day to honor those working in the healthcare field. On this occasion, let us look back at the core values of medical ethics and the development orientation of our country’s medicine.
The importance of solidarity in the medical field
In the letter, the first point emphasized was solidarity. Solidarity here is understood as close cooperation among medical staff—from doctors, pharmacists, and nurses to support personnel—and between practitioners of traditional and modern medicine. In the context of increasingly specialized medical development, collective strength and multidisciplinary consultations are the keys to managing complex cases and ensuring maximum patient safety.
The spirit of “A physician must be like a gentle mother.”
This is the core of Vietnamese medical ethics. Healthcare workers must love their patients as if they were their own siblings, providing dedicated care without fear of hardship. In the current era, this spirit does not stop at a kind attitude; it is also demonstrated through the constant updating of medical knowledge, the practice of evidence-based medicine, and the improvement of professional skills through continuous training programs. Only with solid professional competence can a physician provide the best and safest care for patients.
Building a scientific, national, and popular medicine
Vietnamese medicine must be based on scientific foundations, inheriting the essence of national traditional medicine while serving the vast majority of the population. Today, this requirement is closely linked to expanding the grassroots healthcare network, transferring high-tech technology, and promoting continuous training. Maintaining courses and certificates for Continuous Medical Education (CME) is not only a legal requirement but also the moral responsibility of every medical professional to keep pace with global scientific and technical progress.
On the anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors’ Day, February 27th, the Center for Support and Continuing Education would like to express our deepest gratitude to all doctors, pharmacists, and healthcare staff nationwide. We wish our colleagues continued passion, a sense of responsibility, and a heart of medical ethics to carry on the noble cause of public healthcare.
Center for Support & Continuing Education