Acad. Dr. Duong Quang Trung

Born in Ca Mau, he studied at Pétrus Ký School before going to France to study medicine, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Bordeaux in 1958. He later worked as a thoracic surgeon before returning to Vietnam to help build the nation’s healthcare system.

During the war years and the post-1975 period, he combined clinical work with the organization and development of the healthcare system. He served as Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health from 1981 to 1997, and is recognized as a key figure in the establishment and development of major medical institutions such as the Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute, People’s Hospital 115, and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine. He was also associated with a major milestone in Vietnamese medicine through his role in organizing and directing the 1988 separation surgery of the conjoined twins Viet and Duc.

Dr. Duong Quang Trung during an endoscopic surgery

Beyond his professional and managerial achievements, Acad. Dr. Physician Duong Quang Trung was also a teacher of many generations of physicians, consistently upholding the values of medical ethics, professional integrity, clinical excellence, and dedication to the profession. In recognition of his great contributions to medicine and medical education, he was honored with the titles of People’s Physician and Hero of Labor, and was widely respected by both Vietnamese and international medical communities. Today, a street in Ho Chi Minh City bears his name in tribute to his enduring and profound contributions to Vietnamese healthcare.