During a visit to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Tropical Diseases on June 26, British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward expressed his thanks to Vietnamese doctors for working tirelessly to save a British pilot who was infected with Covid-19.
British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Ian Gibbons joined the ambassador during the meeting with the hospital’s doctors.
| Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, director of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Tropical Diseases (left), and British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward (center) in the hospital visit. Photo provided by the hospital |
Ambassador Gareth Ward said he completely believes in the qualification and ethics of the doctors at the hospital, one of the leading ones in combating Covid-19 in Vietnam.
The ambassador visited several departments at the hospital, including the testing department that has performed more than 15,000 RT-PCR tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in Vietnam.
Gareth Ward also visited the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), a UK medical organization, which has been collaborating with the hospital in carrying out research projects on infectious diseases since 1991.
In the context of the complicated Covid-19 pandemic worldwide, the British ambassador said his embassy will work closely with the Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City to provide better health care for both British and Vietnamese citizens.
The 43-year-old pilot is Vietnam’s most critical Covid-19 patient so far.
He had stayed at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Tropical Diseases for 65 days and several times suffered life-threatening emergencies during the treatment.
The patient had to battle for life as his lungs were seriously damaged due to infection complications. He was put on ECMO, a life support machine.
The Briton has gradually recovered since he was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital, also in Ho Chi Minh City. He now can breathe unaided, walk, communicate well with others, and has been practicing physical therapy and is expected to be discharged soon from hospital.
