The man who brought 'gold, platinum, diamonds' to Dong Nai General Hospital

'Gold, platinum, diamonds' here of course do not refer to precious metals but rather to certificates recognized and awarded to the hospital by the European Stroke Association and the World Stroke Organization.

"The first of the first"

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Huy Thang, Vice President of the Vietnam Stroke Association, Dong Nai is one of the leading localities in the country in the field of stroke, the only province with 3 medical facilities certified by the World Stroke Association (including Dong Nai General Hospital, Thong Nhat Dong Nai General Hospital and Long Khanh Regional General Hospital). This is a proud achievement, demonstrating Dong Nai's serious investment in developing standard stroke centers, contributing to improving the quality of health care for people in the area.

World Stroke Organization awarded diamond certificate in stroke treatment to Dong Nai General Hospital in April 2024

Photo: Le Lam

Among the three hospitals in Dong Nai mentioned by Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Huy Thang, Dong Nai General Hospital can be considered "the leader in the leader" when since 2008 it has sent its staff to study neurology, then take additional classes on stroke, laying the foundation for the establishment of a neurology department later.

Although it is a provincial hospital, Dong Nai General Hospital has continuously made a strong mark in stroke treatment, being awarded a series of gold, platinum and diamond certificates by the European Stroke Association and the World Stroke Organization. Specifically, this is the first provincial hospital in the South to achieve gold certification (2019); one of three hospitals in Vietnam and the first provincial hospital to achieve platinum certification (2020). By 2024, the hospital will achieve diamond certification, the highest standard for stroke treatment today. Notably, from the third quarter of 2023 to the end of the second quarter of 2025, Dong Nai General Hospital has achieved diamond certification from the World Stroke Organization three times in a row.

The value of the above certificates cannot be measured in material terms, because it comes with thousands of stroke patients who have been successfully treated. Director of Dong Nai General Hospital Ngo Duc Tuan proudly said that this achievement is thanks to the smooth coordination of the Emergency, Diagnostic Imaging, Testing departments and the final point is the Department of Neurology, where Head of Department Nguyen Dinh Quang is the final stop and also the "architect" of the entire stroke treatment process.

When mentioning the certificate of merit for typical examples in the patriotic emulation movement for the period 2020 - 2025 awarded by the People's Committee of Dong Nai province to doctor Nguyen Dinh Quang, Mr. Ngo Duc Tuan affirmed that it was "completely worthy".

The province's first stroke doctor

Sharing with Thanh Nien reporter, Dr. Quang said that in 2004, after graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, he applied to work at Dong Nai General Hospital, and was assigned to the Emergency Department. In 2007, he transferred to the Emergency Resuscitation Department (now the Intensive Care and Anti-Poison Department).

Doctor Nguyen Dinh Quang was awarded a certificate of merit by the People's Committee of Dong Nai province for being a typical example in the patriotic emulation movement for the period 2020 - 2025.

Photo: Le Lam

From 2008 to 2010, he was sent by the hospital to study specialized level 1 in neurology at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City. After completing the course, in 2011, he was transferred to the Department of Neurology and Endocrinology, holding the position of Deputy Head of Neurology, and began treating neurological diseases, including stroke.

In 2012, the hospital sent Dr. Quang to People's Hospital 115 (HCMC) to attend a 3-month stroke treatment course. Right after returning from the course, a patient was admitted to the hospital in a severe stroke condition, and he immediately applied the knowledge he had learned to successfully treat the patient.

Recalling the unforgettable milestone in his life, Dr. Quang shared: "At that time, I was worried, but if I had chosen a safe approach, I would have chosen a light case to start smoothly and with low risk. But the patient was in the "golden hour" at that time, so I decided to do it right away. Luckily, the case was successful and recovered well."

According to Dr. Nguyen Dinh Quang, in stroke treatment, time is extremely important. If treatment is done within the "golden hour", the success rate is high and the patient recovers well. And to achieve this, it requires the smooth coordination of many units in the hospital. A successfully treated stroke is the result of the whole team.

"Treatment is not difficult, the difficulty lies in coordination. Stroke cannot be done alone, but by a team. First is emergency, then imaging, testing, and finally the neurology department. If everyone does not cooperate, it cannot be done," said Dr. Quang.

According to Dr. Quang, there were some problems at first. The X-ray and testing department was frustrated because he kept asking for "priority" for patients in the Neurology department, and they asked, "What about the other departments?" Therefore, he had to develop a stroke treatment process and submit it to the hospital's Board of Directors. After the Board of Directors signed it and the heads of the relevant departments agreed, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Quang even went down to the departments to ask for a few minutes to meet with his colleagues to discuss and explain the reasons why stroke patients need to be treated quickly when admitted to the hospital.

"Although the process has been approved by the Board of Directors, I want to talk to my colleagues in other departments so that everyone can understand and follow the instructions. This will be more effective than not understanding and having to follow orders," said Dr. Quang.

In addition, Dr. Quang also organized training for staff and doctors in the Emergency Department on how to recognize strokes for early treatment. "In the Emergency Department, when many patients are admitted at the same time, the severe cases are first, the mild cases later. If the doctor detects a stroke case, he will also prioritize examination and treatment," he explained.

Feel happy because you have value

Doctor Quang confided that neurology is a difficult specialty, and few doctors follow it. When the hospital sent him to study specialty 1, he chose gastroenterology, but there were no more spots, so he decided to choose neurology because he did not like any other "internal medicine". After finishing his studies, he brought that knowledge back to treat patients neatly and effectively, and patients no longer had to be transferred to higher levels. Then, when there was a patient related to neurology, especially stroke, other departments invited him to participate in consultations.

Dr. Nguyen Dinh Quang is currently Head of the Department of Neurology, Dong Nai General Hospital.

Photo: Le Lam

"At that time, I felt useful, valuable, doing work that my colleagues trusted, and that studying this major made sense, saving many people. The joy just came every day," Dr. Quang said with a smile.

In 2015, after the Department of Neurology was established, Dr. Quang was assigned the responsibility of Head of the Department until now. During that time, he has passed on his skills to the doctors and staff in the department and sent doctors for training.

He said that back then he was alone, and on days when he wasn't on duty, if a stroke patient was admitted to the hospital, he had to rush in. Now things are different, all shifts have doctors who can handle strokes.

Keeping is important.

From January 2018 to March 2024, Dong Nai General Hospital has treated more than 6,700 stroke patients, ranking among the top in the country.

Regarding gold, platinum, and diamond certifications, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Quang said that the most difficult thing is not achieving the certifications but how to maintain them, that is important. Because according to him, "if you try to achieve them, have a reputation and then let go... then everything is meaningless."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-mang-vang-bach-kim-kim-cuong-ve-benh-vien-da-khoa-dong-nai-185251202180625162.htm