Vu Thi Hue (left), Le Thi Anh Hong (centre) and Thai Minh Sam, head of Cho Ray Hospital’s Department of Urology (Photo: VNA)
HCMCity (VNA) - Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City havesuccessfully performed the country’s first living paired-kidney exchangetransplant.
Thesurgery was successful and the four patients are in stable condition, accordingto Dr Thai Minh Sam, head of the hospital’s urology department.
NguyenThi Hue, 58, volunteered to donate one of her kidneys to her daughter Vu ThiHue, 32, from Kien Giang province who had end-stage renal disease and has beenon dialysis since June 2014.
Butshe and her daughter did not match well, Sam said at a press meeting heldyesterday.
Anotherpair in the same situation, Le Thi Anh Hong, 31, from Dak Nong province withend-stage renal disease, has been on dialysis since April 2015.
Hong’sstepfather, Truong Ngoc Xuan, 51, could not donate one of his own kidneys tohis daughter as they were incompatible.
Paireddonation matches an incompatible donor and recipient to another pair in thesame situation.
Doctorsat Cho Ray Hospital carefully consulted opinions from leading experts in kidneytransplant and explained the procedure to two donor/recipient pairs who agreedto undergo paired kidney exchange.
Hue’smother gave one of her own kidneys to Hong. In exchange, Hong’s stepfather, Xuan,donated one of his own kidneys to Hue.
Doctorsremoved the kidneys from the donors in the morning and transplanted them in therecipients on January 11.-VNA
As many as 449 people attending a ceremony on November 28 signed a pledge to donate their organs after death to the National Coordination Centre for Organ Transplantation.
Hanoi, December 28 (VNA) - The lack of knowledge about organ donation is one of the main reasons leading to the shortage of organ donation sources, according to medical experts.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Vu Thi Hue (left), Le Thi Anh Hong (centre) and Thai Minh Sam, head of Cho Ray Hospital’s Department of Urology (Photo: VNA) 
