Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối dedicated his entire life to three missions: Healing, education, and creation.
On the morning of June 29, People's Teacher, Prof. Nguyễn Đình Hối, MD, PhD, breathed his last at the age of 92 following an illness.
That sad news left generations of physicians, students, and patients in quiet reflection. For them, the passing of Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối is not merely the loss of an individual, but a farewell to a towering icon of Vietnamese medicine.
1. He Completed a Truly Beautiful Life
"Farewell to Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối, founder and first Director of University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital Ho Chi Minh City. His entire life was dedicated to medicine, serving the medical profession, caring for patients, and passing on his craft to countless generations of Vietnamese doctors," shared Prof. Trần Việt Hùng, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Drug Quality Control, upon learning of the professor's passing.
"As a junior student and a physician engaged in management, today I appreciate even more the silent sacrifices, bold decisions, long-term vision, and enduring values that the teacher left for our nation's medical sector. Some structures are built with bricks and mortar, while others are built with intellect, character, and the aspiration to serve. The teacher's legacy belongs to the latter category—enduring through time. I bow my head in farewell to an esteemed teacher. I am deeply grateful for everything the teacher gave to University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, to Vietnamese healthcare, and to countless generations of doctors. The teacher has completed a truly beautiful life. May he rest in peace in eternity," wrote Assoc. Prof. Nguyễn Phan Tú Dung, MD, PhD, Director of JW Korea Hospital, who penned these emotional words while flying back to Vietnam from the US.
Assoc. Prof. Trần Chí Cường, MD, PhD, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Neuroradiology, formerly stationed at University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and known for saving thousands of stroke patients, also offered his condolences: "Early this morning, pulling an all-nighter at San Francisco Airport, I received the news that the teacher has passed away... I am deeply saddened because the medical sector has lost an exceptionally great teacher with great thoughts."
Countless other generations of his students working in healthcare have shared their gratitude and tributes, painting the portrait of a great teacher who was not only clinically brilliant but also inspired and supported generations of medical professionals.
Spanning over half a century with medicine, Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối dedicated his entire life to three missions: healing, education, and creation. He not only saved thousands of patients and trained thousands of doctors, but also left a foundational legacy for the development of modern Vietnamese medicine.
2. The Lights in the Operating Rooms Still Shine Every Day
Born in Thanh Hóa into a family with a rich tradition of scholarly pursuit, young Nguyễn Đình Hối exhibited exceptional intellectual gifts from an early age. In 1954, he simultaneously topped the entrance exams for both the Hanoi College of Education and Hanoi Medical University. Between the two paths of knowledge, he chose medicine driven by the simple desire "to heal the sick and save lives."
Following his graduation as a doctor, he worked at Hanoi Medical University and became an outstanding student of Professor Tôn Thất Tùng. His years working at Việt Đức Hospital not only sharpened his clinical expertise but also forged a lifelong guiding philosophy: "A physician does not merely treat illness through technique, but above all must treat illness with compassion."
In 1981, accepting the invitation of Professor Trương Công Trung, he relocated to Ho Chi Minh City to work at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. From then on, a new chapter for southern medical education was opened.
Serving as Rector of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City for many years, Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối did more than manage a university; he nurtured a grander vision: building an environment where teaching, research, and clinical treatment were no longer isolated activities. After years of aspiration, that dream materialized with the birth of University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital Ho Chi Minh City—the first "University-Hospital" model in Vietnam.
Today, millions of patients seek care at University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital Ho Chi Minh City each year. Few realize that behind this achievement lay the ambition and perseverance of a teacher who was determined to build a hospital independent of state budget funding—a daring concept at the time.
Throughout his life, Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối also left behind a massive academic trove featuring numerous textbooks, monographs, dozens of scientific research projects, and hundreds of specialist doctors, masters, and PhDs whom he directly trained. He also undertook critical responsibilities, such as Chairman of the Council for Professor Titles in Medical Science, Chairman of the Council of Rectors of Universities of Medicine and Pharmacy, and leadership roles in various other professional bodies.
3. Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối Casket to Pass Through the University of Medicine and Pharmacy
According to information from University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, at around 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 1, the casket of Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối will be brought through the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital Ho Chi Minh City before proceeding to his final resting place.
This is not only a journey to bid farewell to a person; it is also a homecoming to two "spiritual children" to which he devoted his entire heart and soul. One university continues to train new generations of doctors. One hospital keeps its lights burning every day to heal the sick. Professor Nguyễn Đình Hối has closed his 92-year journey.
Yet the flame that this teacher ignited for Vietnamese medicine will continue to be preserved, illuminating the path for those in white coats today and for generations to come.