A young man, a victim of a traffic accident, was urgently rushed through the Emergency Department entrance. He was in severe hemorrhagic shock, with chest injuries leading to acute respiratory failure, teetering on the brink of death. Resuscitation, imaging, and surgical teams immediately coordinated treatment on-site.

Results identified the patient had multiple severe injuries, including traumatic brain injury, a fractured femur, and hemothorax. Following an urgent consultation, the patient underwent emergency surgery combined with intensive resuscitation. Thanks to timely coordination, ensuring the 'golden hour' was not missed, the young man's life was dramatically saved, and he recovered well.

This case exemplifies the positive outcomes from over one year of collaboration. Thu Duc Regional General Hospital signed agreements to receive specialized expertise from leading tertiary hospitals, including Nhan Dan Gia Dinh Hospital, Binh Dan Hospital, Heart Institute, Eye Hospital, Nhi Dong 2 Hospital, Oncology Hospital, and Central Dental Hospital. This initiative, guided by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, began on 11/4/2025. Concurrently, the hospital restructured its emergency network, directly integrating the 'Trauma Emergency Center' into its Emergency Department.

Consequently, multi-trauma patients are now admitted, resuscitated, undergo imaging, receive consultations, and interventions at a single point, rather than moving through multiple departments as before. The internal 'red alert' procedure has been optimized, activating a rapid multi-specialty response immediately upon patient admission, fully utilizing every moment to save lives.

Thu Duc Regional General Hospital. Photo: Provided by the hospital.

Thanks to continuous professional support, the hospital's emergency and resuscitation capabilities have markedly improved. The number of patient transfers decreased from about 135 cases previously to 30 cases in the past year. All transferred cases received initial stabilization, ensuring safety before specialized treatment. Beyond multi-trauma, the hospital has also effectively managed many cases of stroke, myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, and septic shock.

Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, commented that this model demonstrates a suitable direction for organizing the healthcare system. Gateway hospitals are evolving from mere transit stations into independent 'healthcare poles' within a 'multi-tiered, multi-polar, multi-center' model. In the future, this facility will develop into a modern emergency center, meeting the healthcare needs of residents in the eastern gateway area.

Le Phuong