People's Doctor Tran Minh Dien: "Loving children is the most important condition for a pediatrician"

What are the special features of diagnosing and treating children's diseases that can only be best met at a children's hospital, sir?

Pediatric examination and treatment must comply with the entire process of normal medical examination and treatment. However, with pediatrics, you must be careful and precise in every step: Ask about the child's illness through the parents or guardians; when examining the child, you must be gentle so that the child cooperates. Sometimes in emergency situations, you must quickly assess the signs that threaten the child's life, which signs are still safe...

In general, a pediatric hospital is better than a pediatric department of a general hospital. A pediatric hospital includes different specialties, each of which will support each other best to obtain in-depth diagnoses without missing anything. The unique feature of a pediatric hospital is the close coordination of clinical, paraclinical, and diagnostic imaging specialties, people who specialize in children's diseases, and specialized equipment for children.

Associate Professor Tran Minh Dien (8th row, from right) is the President of the Vietnam Pediatric Association for the 2022-2027 term.

With scientists and colleagues at the 2023 Northern Mountainous Provinces Pediatric Conference

A pediatrician, in addition to professional skills like other doctors, does he or she need any other skills to be able to meet the requirements of examining and treating children?

Pediatric expertise and pediatric examination and treatment skills are important foundations, but a loving attitude towards children is even more important to help you practice your profession enthusiastically every day without getting bored. You need to be patient with children, not afraid of children crying, not afraid of complaints from parents, listen to parents, try to understand their wishes...

Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac wrote: "Thinking deeply, I understand that a doctor is the one who protects human life: life and death are in his hands, fortune and misfortune are in his hands. So how can one dare to recklessly learn that noble profession without sufficient knowledge, without complete virtue, without a broad mind, without careful behavior?" Hai Thuong Lan Ong's teachings still hold true today. When I became the Director of the Central Children's Hospital, I placed Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac's advice and President Ho Chi Minh's teachings in a solemn position in the Hospital's Great Hall, so that each of us can admonish ourselves while examining and treating children.

In a place like the National Children's Hospital, how does the volume of medical examination and treatment relate to research and training activities?

The National Children's Hospital is a leading pediatric hospital that includes medical examination and treatment, training and scientific research functions. In 2023, the hospital received nearly 1.2 million children for outpatient examination and treatment, and more than 120,000 children for inpatient treatment. This data helps us have an extremely rich pathology model, complete data storage over time, modern medical examination and treatment methods, and a team of good and specialized doctors. This is a favorable condition for scientific research and training.

Over the years, the National Children's Hospital has been a trusted address assigned by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health for state-level scientific research projects. Domestic and international scientific partners also trust the hospital's research capacity to coordinate research projects in the field of child health and multinational clinical trials.

Discuss patient image analysis results with colleagues.

Every year, scientists at the National Children's Hospital actively seek to register new scientific research topics at all levels and internationally. In particular, in 2023, within the framework of the scientific research funding package from the Vingoup Innovation Fund (VinIF), we successfully registered the project "Establishing reference intervals for blood biomarkers in Vietnamese children and adolescents". This is a large project with high scientific and practical value, serving as a basis for clinicians to refer to and apply in medical examination and treatment. From these studies, scientific products are applied in practice, domestic and international articles are published, technology is transferred to all levels, training of resident physicians, masters, level 2 specialists, doctors, etc.

Every year, we receive thousands of students and postgraduates from all schools and institutes. Here, students and trainees are trained in an environment that is complete with pediatric pathology models, modern medical examination and treatment methods, and especially are taught clinically by a team of excellent doctors. Furthermore, the Hospital has specialized training programs, receiving domestic and international students to improve their qualifications in pediatrics.

With young colleagues at the National Children's Hospital

With the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing and providing treatment regimens, in your opinion, what changes will the role of doctors have?

The application of AI in medicine is increasingly developing beyond imagination. Based on the principle of data system, collection, analysis, from which reference limits are given. When applied to a specific set of disease signs of a patient, it will create a diagnosis and treatment method, somewhat personalizing the patient being treated.

In principle, that is true, however, AI can only help with a certain stage, for example, analyzing diagnostic images, analyzing and collecting tests, and consulting on tests. As for the final diagnosis and establishing a specific treatment regimen for each patient, the doctor's role is still the main one. Currently, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment only encourages the use of AI to support the medical examination and treatment process. The role of the doctor is both the subject of implementation and the person who supports the creation of AI. At the National Children's Hospital, we have been actively applying AI to child health care.

Healthcare models around the world vary greatly from country to country. What do you envision an ideal healthcare model to look like?

The healthcare model is a mirror reflecting the economic, political and social conditions of each country. No model is exactly the same between countries. An ideal healthcare model is one that places people at the center, taking care of them, ensuring their physical, mental and social health, at all times, in all places and in all circumstances.

COVID-19 has indeed created a huge change in society and each individual's outlook on life. In healthcare, are there any fundamental changes that can help people cope with an uncertain future?

COVID-19 is an unprecedented pandemic. In the future, we may encounter similar unpredictable epidemics. Not to mention, there are factors such as virus mutations, changes in human behavior, the effectiveness of epidemic control measures not meeting expectations... Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire health system and sector have learned many lessons, both at the macro and micro levels.

Sustainable change is about preparing resources well, not only medical resources but also national resources. In general, both the system and each individual must be ready to adapt and respond flexibly to changes related to future epidemics.

At the honor ceremony at the Vietnam Glory Program 2024.

Sharing joy with family at the Vietnam Glory Program.

As one of the 10 individuals recently honored in the Vietnam Glory Program 2024, what do you think about your mission as the director of a leading pediatric hospital?

When I first took on the responsibility of hospital director, I went to the outpatient department, where many children came for examination. I was very worried whether I would have enough strength to ensure the safety of the children with my colleagues? Would their parents have a positive experience when examining them? Participating in a tug of war competition while thousands of officials cheered happily, I was worried: would I have enough strength to ensure the job positions and incomes of my colleagues? Would people really trust my leadership? When I went to work at the construction site of Quoc Oai Facility 2, I wondered: I am a doctor, without expertise in construction management, would the project ensure progress and quality? Reading a financial report, a monthly income and expenditure book, I am also afraid that whether I have followed the current legal regulations or not?... Many jobs according to the job description of the Party Secretary, Hospital Director require me to be really calm, clear-headed, impartial... My leadership perspective is: comply with and respect the law, listen with a positive attitude when solving problems.

Thank you, Associate Professor!