The train, with 9 carriages, carrying doctors and nurses from Bach Mai Hospital, departs from Hanoi Station to Phu Ly Station (Ninh Binh) at over 6 am every day - Photo: NAM TRAN
For many years, a familiar sight has been patients from the provinces flocking to Hanoi, crowding into top-tier hospitals in search of access to skilled doctors and modern technology.
Behind each of those trips came costs, time, fatigue, and pressure on the central level. The "Bach Mai Train" marked a remarkable event, not about patients going to Hanoi, but about Bach Mai doctors proactively reaching out to the people.
The image of hundreds of doctors and nurses in white coats waving goodbye to their colleagues at the hospital gate as the train rolls past the place where they have spent many years carries more meaning than just a personnel reassignment.
That significance was amplified on the very first day of operation, when the Ninh Binh facility welcomed 1,500 people for examination and treatment. Some patients were overwhelmed with emotion upon arriving for treatment, delighted to be examined by "doctors from Bach Mai Hospital" just 4-5km from their homes.
It is noteworthy that the Ninh Binh facility was not only built with the goal of relieving the burden on Hanoi, as the hospital's leadership has affirmed, "to bring high-quality medical services to where people live."
The dedicated train service transporting doctors and medical staff from Hanoi to Ninh Binh therefore not simply solves logistical problems, but is also a solution to maintaining stable professional standards during the initial operational phase.
Looking back, the Bach Mai Hospital Phase 2 project became a "symbol" of unfinished work. After construction began in 2015, the project was stalled for many years, deteriorated, and was accompanied by a series of egregious violations, causing huge waste and eroding public trust.
The hospital officially opened yesterday morning, marking not only the completion of a construction project but also the revival of a previously stalled project.
Perhaps what the people most look forward to is not a new building, but rather clinics that are always brightly lit, where patients receive timely treatment, and where doctors are dedicated and compassionate – as President Ho Chi Minh taught the medical profession.
The "Bach Mai train," therefore, not only carries hundreds of doctors and nurses but also embodies the hope of a healthcare system where geographical distance is no longer a barrier for people to access high-quality services.
The train has departed. What people are hoping for most is that this journey will not stop at the Hanoi-Ninh Binh route, but will become a new approach in healthcare development, bringing skilled doctors to the grassroots level, instead of forcing people to constantly seek out large hospitals.
Therefore, the historic "relocation" of doctors and nurses from Bach Mai Hospital has earned the trust of people nationwide.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doan-tau-bach-mai-da-khoi-hanh-100260627103708399.htm
