Young doctor with works for the life of the community

Dr. Nguyen Viet Hai speaks at the conference to collect comments on the draft documents of the 14th National Party Congress.

Growing up in a family with a tradition of practicing medicine, Nguyen Viet Hai's childhood was associated with the faint smell of traditional Chinese medicine in his grandfather's office, with his father's long business trips and the image of his chemistry teacher mother diligently preparing lesson plans.

It was the atmosphere of knowledge, responsibility and compassion that soon instilled in him the belief that becoming a doctor was the right choice.

In 2011, this young man born in 1993 passed the entrance exam to Hanoi Medical University, opening a journey to turn his love of medicine into his life's mission.

Graduated with honors in 2017, Dr. Hai worked at the Central Lung Hospital.

After two years, he won a PhD scholarship from the Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Society (KNCV) and went to the University of Amsterdam to study.

Three years later, he completed his PhD program a year earlier than expected, a rare achievement, especially in the context of Europe struggling to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

This rare achievement is not only the result of his academic ability but also reflects his serious and persistent working attitude.

However, instead of choosing to stay in an international research environment, Mr. Hai made a decision that surprised many people when he returned to Vietnam.

Dr. Nguyen Viet Hai participates in patient consultation and research work.

In Dong Nai, he and the medical team participated in the trial of the antiviral drug Molnupiravir, the foundational research for the national program "Evaluation of the controlled use of Molnupiravir in the community".

This large-scale project was implemented in 35 provinces and cities, mobilizing more than 3,000 medical staff and volunteers. 56,129 patients were closely monitored.

The results excited both experts and the community: 72.5% of patients were discharged or finished quarantine after only 5 days of treatment; the rate of severe progression was less than 0.2%; side effects were low and mostly mild.

Nearly 60,000 people have had early access to antiviral drugs, helping to reduce hospital overload and save thousands of lives.

“It is not just a scientific research, but a battle of faith and humanity. Each recovered patient is a victory for Vietnamese medicine,” Dr. Hai shared.

Not only making important contributions to the fight against Covid-19, Dr. Nguyen Viet Hai is also the author and co-author of 14 international publications on tuberculosis, published in leading journals such as The Lancet or Clinical Infectious Diseases. These works not only bring academic value but also contribute to shaping the tuberculosis prevention strategy in Vietnam.

In particular, the study on the epidemiological trend of tuberculosis in the period 2007-2017 is an important milestone. The work has provided scientific evidence to replace the staining technique with GeneXpert test, a turning point in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, helping to detect the disease quickly, accurately and reduce the rate of spread in the community.

This research also contributes to creating a cluster of topics honored with the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Science and Technology in 2022.

Behind those successes are many failures. Some research was rejected three or four times but he did not lose heart.

"Failure is not as scary as stopping trying," he always reminds himself to persevere in editing, supplementing and defending scientific arguments to the end.

His tireless efforts for community health have helped him receive the 2025 Beautiful Living Youth Award from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union.

For Mr. Hai, "living beautifully" is not something grand, but simply living responsibly, living for the community, living so that his knowledge can contribute to protecting the lives of others.

At a very young age, Dr. Nguyen Viet Hai has gone through difficult journeys to prove that, with faith and a big enough heart, young people can absolutely contribute to changing the world, starting with a research, a decision to commit, or an action for the community.

With a spirit of dedication, creativity, and community service, Dr. Nguyen Viet Hai is one of the young intellectuals of Hanoi city, honored to receive the "Beautiful Youth" Award in 2025 presented by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union.

PEACE OF MIND

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tien-si-tre-voi-nhung-cong-trinh-vi-su-song-cua-cong-dong-post928309.html