In the early days of 2025, social media was abuzz with images of a doctor providing emergency care to an unconscious foreign passenger suffering from hypoglycemia on a flight from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City. For two hours, the doctor remained by the passenger’s seat, closely monitoring their condition to ensure their safety throughout the flight.

Upon regaining consciousness, the 62-year-old American passenger was deeply moved and expressed heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Huynh Minh Chin, Deputy Director of Binh Dương Department of Health and President of the Young Physicians’ Association of the province, for his dedicated care. The doctor’s timely and responsible actions on the flight received widespread praise and quickly spread a powerful message about the medical ethics upheld by those in the white coat. In the digital era, social media has become one of the most effective platforms for spreading the medical ethics of healthcare professionals.

In 2025, we celebrate the 70^th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors’ Day. This occasion traces its origins back to a letter written by President Ho Chi Minh to a conference of healthcare workers on February 27, 1955. Decades later, on February 6, 1985, the Council of Ministers officially designated February 27 as Vietnamese Doctors’ Day, reinforcing the commitment to following Uncle Ho’s teachings—enhancing both the professional competence and moral integrity of healthcare workers in their mission to build and protect the nation. Thus, February 27 serves as a day to honor the doctors and medical professionals who have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the country. It is also a time for those in the healthcare sector to reflect on their responsibilities, reaffirm their commitment to compassionate care, and uphold the principle of treating patients’ suffering as their own. This echoes President Ho Chi Minh’s timeless teaching: “A good physician is like a kind mother.”

In the development orientation for 2025, the Ministry of Health sets important goals such as: the rate of population participating in health insurance reaches 95%; there are 15 doctors per 10,000 people and 34.5 hospital beds per 10,000 people. Additionally, the Government has assigned specific targets, such as: average life expectancy reaches 74.6 years; sex ratio at birth is 111 boys/100 girls; the infant mortality rate falls below 11.3 cases/1,000 live births; the mortality rate of children under 5 falls below 18 cases/1,000 live births; the rate of stunting in children under 5 falls below 17%; the rate of people's satisfaction with health services reaches over 80%.

These figures require great efforts in the context of economic recovery after the pandemic and the global recession last year. However, it is also feasible, as the country is entering the digital age. Technology has also contributed to the medical industry's remarkable development.

In the world and in Vietnam, the development of science and technology has created outstanding achievements in medicine such as: Biomedical achievements with the discovery of 6 organs with new functions in the body; cancer treatment with Boron neutron capture therapy; 3D printing technology; Nanotechnology and medicine; robotic surgery...

It can be seen that digital transformation is an inevitable trend of the 4.0 era, including the medical field. However, the development of technology also poses significant challenges for the medical industry, especially in the era of AI, which is on the rise and affects nearly every industry.

At the 2024 Conference on Digital Transformation and Technology in Medical Imaging, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Vice President of Vietnam Medical Association, emphasized: "AI cannot replace doctors, but doctors who use AI will replace those who don’t." This statement underscores the necessity for Vietnamese doctors to continuously learn, adapt, and enhance their skills to keep pace with rapid technological evolution—without becoming overly dependent on it. Technology is a product of human intellect. We live with the heart. Only a heart that upholds the Hippocratic Oath can beat the rhythm of service in a dedicated spirit.

The powerful impact of the technological revolution has significantly enhanced management and operation efficiency in healthcare, as well as helped people easily access medical services quickly, promptly, anytime, anywhere to improve the effectiveness of medical examination and treatment. But above all, like an unchanging belief of the patient, the medical ethics of a doctor always lie in the heart, not being controlled or dependent on anything. This is exemplified by Dr. Huynh Minh Chin, who saved a passenger in distress during with the compassionate heart of a healer. It is that heart that always lights up the patient's love and trust and illuminates the true essence of the white coat.

Reporting by TONG PHUOC BAO – Translating by HONG VAN