Bach Mai Hospital's A9 Emergency Center is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and during Tet holidays there are usually about 200 doctors and nurses on duty. A9 is the leading facility for emergency care for critically ill patients, at the brink of death.
A9 Emergency Center, Bach Mai Hospital on the eve of Tet - Photo: HONG HA
Unlike previous years, A9 is now much cleaner and more beautiful thanks to the new building with 30 new beds put into operation, bringing the total number of beds of the center to more than 200. Thanks to that, the first and second floors of the center have a lobby for patients and their families to wait, a reception area, peach and kumquat trees and corners full of flowers, signaling the arrival of Tet.
However, for the owners here, Tet will not be different from normal days, they still have to go to work. Emergency patients can be hospitalized at any time, not to mention situations that can easily happen during Tet such as food poisoning, or the colder weather on the 29th of Tet, increasing the risk of stroke.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the center, shared that he still remembers Tet 2006, when he was still a young doctor. On New Year's Eve, a very serious patient was admitted to the emergency room.
There were years when there were so many patients that A9 didn't have time to celebrate New Year's Eve. Many doctors and nurses didn't have time to eat dinner on the 30th, even though the center had prepared a New Year's Eve dinner for the on-duty crew.
"In previous years, during Tet, both my husband and I worked together, and on the second day of Tet, we felt like it was Tet because we could leave the hospital. When we were young, we only went to our paternal and maternal hometowns for one day each during Tet, but now even one day is difficult even though our hometowns are nearby," said Dr. Tuan.
During Tet, according to Dr. Tuan, there may be more seriously ill patients hospitalized because the primary health care facilities are closed, so more seriously ill patients will go straight to the higher level. The changing weather increases the risk of cardiovascular disease patients, underlying diseases with complications, emergency patients due to poisoning, trauma, etc.
"This year, for the Lunar New Year, we prepared a plan of nearly 20 pages and sent it to the general planning department, through which all departments were informed and coordinated, and sent it to the hospital's board of directors for approval.
In particular, if an unusual situation occurs, with a large number of patients, the entire North will be alerted so that lower-level medical facilities can transfer patients and share the load.
Or in the case of mass poisoning like the recent incident in Long Bien (Hanoi), two separate rooms are reserved for classification; what can we do if there is a power outage, an ultrasound machine malfunctions, or a hacker attacks the computer while we are operating..." - said Dr. Tuan.
In addition to the plan for unusual situations, A9 doctors and nurses also have internal preparations for equipment, machinery, medicine, etc. On New Year's Eve, A9 will have more than 40 doctors and nurses from the center and about 160 doctors and nurses from other departments on duty to support and be ready to provide emergency care to patients.
Few people believe that this "check-in" corner is right on the 2nd floor of A9. According to Dr. Tuan, the medical profession has the characteristic of keeping personal emotions from influencing expertise, but a good environment will convey good emotions to patients - Photo: HONG HA
Doctor Tuan calls his medical profession a "service profession." When everyone is on Tet holiday, the hospital, especially the emergency department, is still lit up. He tells emergency doctors like him, "Tet holiday is a luxury." Every year, a Tet duty plan is created, and doctors who are free and do not have families will be "prioritized" to work on New Year's Eve.
After the transition from the old year to the new year, representatives of the departments on duty on New Year's Eve will come to wish the emergency center a happy new year, but professional work must still be ensured every second to keep patients safe. Experts from the departments are also on call to be on duty at any time.
This Tet, Dr. Tuan will be on duty at the hospital at New Year's Eve. There is excitement as the new year comes, and there is sadness at the moment of transition between the old and new year.
New Year's Eve is also the time when the hospital is a little quieter than usual, and the staff will start a new year from the first day, and the busiest day of the year is always the first day everyone goes to work, this year it is the 5th day of Tet.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tet-o-noi-sang-den-24-24h-365-ngay-trong-nam-20250128092350242.htm
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