Medical students remember teacher who directed historic surgery

(Dan Tri) - The late doctor was the one who successfully led the historic surgery on the conjoined twins Viet-Duc. The surgery created a miracle for Vietnamese medicine, leaving the whole world amazed and admiring.

On June 21, a memorial service for the late Academician, Doctor, Physician Duong Quang Trung (June 22, 2013 - June 22, 2025) was held at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

Teachers and students of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine burn incense in memory of doctor Duong Quang Trung (Photo: NL).

Here, leaders, teachers and students of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and relatives of the late doctor bowed their heads to offer flowers and burn incense in memory of him. For teachers and students of the medical school, remembering the talented and respected doctor is also a reminder of their oath of medical ethics.

Talking about Dr. Duong Quang Trung, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Trong Hao, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, shared that Dr. Duong Quang Trung is the founder of the Orthopedic Trauma Hospital, the Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, the Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, and co-founder of the Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute....

In particular, he was also the founder of the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Staff Training Center to focus on training and supplementing human resources for the medical sector.

Students read documents about Academician, Doctor, Physician Duong Quang Trung (Photo: Hoai Nam).

In 2008, the Prime Minister signed a decision to establish Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine on the basis of reorganizing the Ho Chi Minh City Medical Staff Training Center.

Not only examining and treating patients, Dr. Duong Quang Trung is also the one who directly teaches many generations of students, leaving an impact on the journey of pursuing a career in medicine to save lives of the next generations.

Doctor Duong Anh Tuan, son of the late doctor Duong Quang Trung, said that on the anniversary of his father's death, many people wanted to attend, but the family did not have the means to organize a solemn ceremony at home to welcome them.

For many years, the memorial service for Dr. Duong Quang Trung has been organized by his family and the school at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine so that everyone can attend and also as a way to inspire love for the profession in students.

Doctor Duong Anh Tuan also shared that he and his two younger brothers all followed their father's footsteps and worked in the medical field as he wished.

The late doctor Duong Quang Trung was born in 1928 in Ca Mau . Growing up, he studied at Petrus Ky School and participated in patriotic activities and movements.

He later studied medicine in France. In 1958, he graduated with a doctorate in medicine from the University of Bordeaux and worked as a thoracic surgeon in France.

In mid-1960, he and his family returned to Hanoi and was assigned by the Ministry of Health to be Deputy Head of the Pulmonary Surgery Department of the Central Tuberculosis Institute.

During this time, he joined hands with Professor Ton That Tung in building the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Viet Duc Hospital, Hanoi.

In 1965, he volunteered to return to the South to join his compatriots and soldiers in the fight against the Americans to save the country and liberate his homeland.

After liberation, Dr. Duong Quang Trung was appointed Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health from 1981 to 1997.

On October 4, 1988, a major medical event took place in Ho Chi Minh City with the historic surgery to successfully separate the conjoined twins Viet-Duc under the direction of Dr. Duong Quang Trung.

Doctor Duong Anh Tuan, son of the late doctor Duong Quang Trung, talks about his father (Photo: Hoai Nam).

The surgery, which gathered nearly 70 leading medical experts and lasted more than 15 hours, created a miracle for Vietnamese medicine, leaving the world amazed and amazed.

In September 2018, the road across Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, People's Hospital 115, and Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute - the road that has been associated with Dr. Trung for decades among the institutes and schools in the area - was named after Duong Quang Trung.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/sinh-vien-truong-y-tuong-niem-nguoi-thay-tung-chi-dao-ca-mo-lich-su-20250621172626362.htm