'Fairies' brings happiness to many families

When we went to see the doctor, Professor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, she was busy with medical examination and counseling for patients at My Duc Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. Although this is 74 years old, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong is still very lucid. The story of bringing in vitro fertilization techniques to Vietnam was told to us by her gentle voice and gentle smile.

13 years' tasting honey

'As an obstetrician, I often interact with many women who are inferior to their children, I am very injured' - Dr. Ngoc Phuong started the story. Therefore, in 1984, during a trip to Thailand, was allowed to visit an in-vitro fertilization facility that was about to open, Dr. Ngoc Phuong (then Director of Tu Du Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City). Chi Minh) has wanted to bring this technology to application in Vietnam to bring happiness to many families.

Despite being in the "old and rare" age, Professor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong is passionate about studying and researching.(Photo: Dinh Hang - VNA).

However, at that time, the cost of setting up a fertility support center in vitro was up to 3 million USD while the country's economy was still difficult. Moreover, the uncontrolled population growth in this period also made the State promote propaganda of family planning policies, calling for a reduction in childbirth. Therefore, the creation of a center for assisted reproduction by IVF is difficult.

Despite this, the desire for bringing a childish laughter to unfortunate, infertile families is always urging Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong. She silently plans to prepare for the implementation of IVF techniques in Vietnam.

The first thing that Professor Ngoc Phuong has done is to build a solid foundation at Tu Du Hospital with basic specialties to support in vitro fertilization techniques by creating endoscopic specialists, newborn, buy ultrasound, test machine and build sperm bank . 'We didn't have money at that time so we had to buy debt, install each ultrasound machine, each device to improve The testing process meets the need for infertility treatment , 'said Dr. Ngoc Phuong.

Real opportunity until 1994, she was sent to France to defend a doctoral thesis. Fortunately, she was granted a scholarship to study Professor at Nice Sophia Antipolis University. In 2 years studying in France, Dr. Ngoc Phuong receives 16,000 france scholarships each month.

However, she moved to the dormitory with Vietnamese students, cooking together to save money. Most of her scholarships are saved to purchase medical equipment and machinery, gradually sent to Vietnam, first with ultrasound scanner, ovary endoscope, sperm storage device . So, the number of machines and more and more equipment is sent to Tu Du Hospital.

In order to complete the IVF technique, after returning home, Dr. Ngoc Phuong sent young doctors with talents, foreign languages ​​and advanced advices of Tu Du Hospital such as Dr. Ho Manh Tuong and Vuong Thi Ngoc. Lan to France, Singapore, Australia learned in vitro fertilization techniques .

Thus, for 13 years, Dr. Ngoc Phuong carefully prepared each device, machine, room, personnel . in 1998, marking the event Vietnam is present on IVF map (insemination of tubes). experience of the world.

Bring the joy of thousands of Vietnamese families

After all the equipment and manpower to deploy the in vitro fertilization technique were full, another minor problem appeared, which was the license. At that time, despite receiving great support from the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the Ministry of Health, this is the first time Vietnam has adopted a 'human production' technique so it is not as simple as production of goods and machinery, the process of applying for permits is difficult. In August 1997, Tu Du Hospital and Doctor Ngoc Phuong were licensed to perform IVF techniques.

On August 19, 1997, the first 5 IVF embryos were transferred to the uterus of 5 women. Next, 32 other women also registered and were transferred. After that, the series of days of living in anxiety and suspense of Dr. Ngoc Phuong as well as the whole team.

'After two weeks of embryo transfer, we started calling pregnant women to ask about the situation, and every time they said they did not conceive, I was nervous and worried. Because if we fail in the first time, we will not have the opportunity to continue this technique, ' recalled Dr. Ngoc Phuong.

Professor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong advises patients.(Photo: Dinh Hang - VNA).

At that time, due to stress and pressure, within a week, Dr. Ngoc Phuong's hair was white. However, heaven does not please people, in the first time embryo transfer for 37 women, 12 people have conceived. This is an unexpectedly successful result for Dr. Ngoc Phuong and the whole team who performed IVF at Tu Du Hospital at that time.

The process of preparing to perform dramatic artificial insemination technique is how much stressed and stressful the first 3 test babies will be born. Although 20 years have passed, but Dr. Ngoc Phuong still remembers the development of that day. During the night of April 29, 1998 one of the first three women showed signs of continuous fetal heart failure. That same night, Dr. Ngoc Phuong was awake in worry.

By 2 o'clock on April 30th, realizing that the situation was too critical, the fetus could die in the womb, Dr. Ngoc Phuong was forced to have a cesarean section. The baby was born by in vitro fertilization method later named Mai Quoc Bao was born like that.

By morning and noon on April 30, two other pregnant women showed signs of labor and, fortunately, the two remaining children, Luu Tuyet Tran and Pham Tuong Lan Thy, were born peacefully. 'It was a long day I experienced many different emotions from stress, anxiety, nervousness to extreme, then broke when the 3 babies were born safely, 3 women are completely healthy', Dr. Ngoc Phuong recalls.

April 30, 1998 went into Vietnamese medical history. Doctor Ngoc Phuong said: 'Up to now, although there are tens of thousands of Vietnamese children born from IVF techniques, the feelings of April 30 of that year still cannot be expressed in words.' .

Now at the age of 'losing the ancient cross , ' 5 days a week, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong still goes, going back and forth between the hospital and the clinic. What she has so far wondered is the cost of IVF in Vietnam is considered the cheapest in the world, but still too high compared to the standard of living of the people. Therefore, from 4 years ago, she and her doctors were enthusiastic to initiate the program "Happiness Incubation" at My Duc Hospital.

Every year, this program implements free IVF for 30 infertile, infertile and disadvantaged couples. After 4 years of implementing the program, 48 babies were born from these compassionate hearts.

Doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong has really become the 'fairy' of infertile couples, bringing love life to many families.