Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) in the hospital.

Joys and sorrows by the hospital bed during Tet (Lunar New Year).

On January 28, 2025 (the 29th day of the Lunar New Year), the atmosphere at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital – the largest hospital in the province – was quieter than usual. Very few people came for check-ups. Occasionally, there were hurried arrivals of emergency patients. A few patients who had recovered were discharged, boarding late buses to return home to celebrate New Year's Eve with their families.

In stark contrast to the New Year's Eve atmosphere outside, inside the hospital's treatment wards, doctors and nurses are still working tirelessly, striving every second to save lives. The immense cycle of work never stops. According to the morning report, the hospital still has approximately 800 inpatients receiving treatment. The vast majority of them will have to celebrate the New Year in their hospital beds.

At the Department of Nephrology, Urology, and Dialysis, all the beds are occupied by people undergoing hemodialysis. NTN (9 years old, from Do Luong district; suffering from end-stage renal failure, has been renting a room for dialysis for the past 5 years) sadly shared: “My health is weak. I have to have dialysis every two days. I won’t be able to go home for Tet this year either…”

Mr. TTA (46 years old, from Dien Chau district) – a dialysis patient in the ward – smiled and shared his feelings: “I drive my three-wheeled vehicle here in the morning. After dialysis, I will go home to celebrate the New Year with my family. Having a terminal illness, sometimes I want to give up. But thinking of my wife, children, and family, I try to keep going.”

Sharing the sorrow of patients unable to return home for Tet (Lunar New Year), and congratulating those reunited with their families, the doctors and nurses of the Nephrology - Urology - Dialysis Department meticulously instructed each patient on how to eat, care for their dialysis catheters, monitor and record blood pressure before and after meals, track weight, and monitor fluid intake and output; they also clearly advised, "The department will operate throughout Tet. Everyone needs to have dialysis on schedule, otherwise it will be life-threatening."

In the Intensive Care Unit, the atmosphere seemed to stand still. Only the lifeless beeping of the machines could be heard; the light, hurried footsteps of the doctors; the shifting of the patients; and the heavy, anxious sighs of their family members...

For doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, the workload and intensity during the Lunar New Year holiday are much greater than usual. During Tet, many private hospitals and clinics close, causing a surge in patients; patients from other departments are also transferred to the unit.

Dr. Nguyen Duc Phuc, Head of the Intensive Care Unit, shared his thoughts: "During Tet (Lunar New Year), the team..."medical"There's never an end to the work. We have to constantly race against time to save patients from the brink of death. As soon as one patient is finished, another comes along. On the ward's cupboard, there are a few sticky rice cakes brought from home, and a box of instant noodles; anyone who's hungry just adds boiling water to them and eats before getting back to work. In this whirlwind of work, sometimes we don't remember we haven't had dinner until 3 or 4 in the morning..."

Doctors and nurses in the Intensive Care Unit dread Tet (Lunar New Year). They've never been able to fully enjoy the holiday... However, faced with the demands of their duties and the lives of critically ill patients, they are always ready to take on Tet duty with the mindset of entering a battle to save lives.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the busiest staff are still the officers and employees of the Emergency Department. Each day, the Emergency Department of Nghe An Friendship General Hospital receives approximately 200-250 patients. During the Tet holiday, the number of patients increases to over 300 cases per day. Among these are many critical cases due to traffic accidents.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Tan, Head of the Emergency Department and often on duty throughout the old and new year, said: “Sometimes lunch is at 5 pm. Dinner is at midnight. A hurried meal consists only of sticky rice cakes. We eat quickly to have the strength to continue working... For Tet 2025 (Year of the Snake), I only hope for a more peaceful and relaxed Tet. Fewer patients need to be admitted to the emergency room, especially those injured in traffic accidents.”

To have a family reunion during Tet

This Tet holiday, patients' families are not alone; many doctors and nurses are still anxiously monitoring and dedicating their spirit, responsibility, and abilities to treating patients. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Deputy Director of Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, said: The hospital has meticulously scheduled work and arranged personnel. Accordingly, 100% of departments and wards are open and operating as usual. All departments have increased the number of doctors and nurses. The hospital is also providing free meals and gifts to patients receiving treatment during this period.

Furthermore, on New Year's Eve, the hospital leadership will organize visits to encourage and wish New Year greetings to medical staff on duty during Tet, as well as patients remaining for treatment... Prior to this, Nghe An Friendship General Hospital instructed its departments to organize many spring-themed displays and flower arrangements within the hospital grounds; donate essential food items to patients; and prepare traditional Tet dishes in advance in each department, helping medical staff celebrate Tet.

During Tet (Lunar New Year), at the hospital, to ensure no one felt sad or lonely, many delegations from the province and localities came to give gifts to patients and medical staff, sharing their worries and concerns...

On this last day of the year,Nghe An Department of HealthTwo delegations were organized to visit and present gifts to encourage medical staff on duty and poor patients, as well as patients with particularly difficult circumstances, who are receiving treatment at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital and Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025.

Dr. Le Thi Hoai Chung, Director of the Department of Health, visited and presented 50 gifts to medical staff on duty and patients at Nghe An Friendship General Hospital. Dr. Le Thi Hoai Chung expressed her joy and gratitude to the medical staff who are working day and night to treat the people; she hoped that the doctors and nurses would continue to uphold the spirit of "a good doctor is like a loving mother," providing good treatment and care for patients during the Tet holiday; and that the hospital would continue to care for and assist poor and disadvantaged patients receiving treatment during this Lunar New Year.

The Director of the Department of Health shared the difficulties with the patients and their families; encouraged the patients to have peace of mind during treatment, to trust the doctors and nurses so that they could recover quickly and soon be reunited with their families...

The new spring has arrived, bringing good news. However, somewhere around us, there are still people celebrating the New Year with less joy due to illness and suffering; there are still medical staff and healthcare workers who forget about the New Year and the spring to save lives. In these final moments of the old year, as we prepare to enter the new year, let us hope that everyone will be mindful of maintaining their health and preventing accidents and injuries... so that the New Year may be filled with family reunions and the spring may be joyful forever!