Hundreds of rare Asian openbill storks (Anastomus oscitans) have been sighted in Quang Tri Province and Hue City, drawing attention to the biodiversity of central Vietnam, according to the Lao Dong news site.
Ha Van Bac, head of the Forest Protection Board for Cam Lo District and Dong Ha City in Quang Tri, said a flock of openbill storks recently appeared in Cam Lo Town, with numbers estimated in the hundreds. In Hue, nearly 100 openbill storks have been seen in areas like Huong Tra, Phong Dien, and other parts of the city. Local authorities have increased patrols and monitoring to protect the flock.
Listed as a protected species in Vietnam’s Red Data Book, the Asian openbill typically inhabits mangrove forests and prefers stable habitats. However, habitat loss and food scarcity have forced the species to migrate.
Organ donation from brain-dead man saves seven lives
Organs from a brain-dead man in HCMC have saved seven lives, with nearly 100 medical staff mobilized nationwide over the holiday weekend to carry out the procedures.
A 50-year-old man was declared brain-dead after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage. His family agreed to donate his organs, honoring his wish to help others after death.
Central Military Hospital 175 led the procedure with support from the National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation, Central Military Hospital 108, and several hospitals nationwide. The team successfully retrieved two kidneys, a liver split into two lobes, a heart, and two corneas.
Organs were quickly transported with the help of HCMC traffic police and Vietnam Airlines to HCMC, Hue, and Hanoi. By 2 a.m. on April 8, all transplant surgeries had been successfully completed, bringing life and hope to seven patients, including a young child, reported the Dan Tri news site.
The optimism of a young cancer patient
Detected to suffer from bone cancer in May last year at the age of 17 was a great shock to Nguyen Quoc Huy, who had to temporarily stop his schooling to undergo treatment.
From Phu Tho Province, Huy had to undergo many chemotherapy and surgery sessions in Hanoi. During one year of treatment, he had a pessimistic feeling at first because of the side effects of the chemotherapy that caused hair loss and skinny body. Later, seeing other cancer patients under treatment in the hospital, many of whom were much younger than he was, he regained his confidence and optimism.
Two months ago, after a fairly long time of treatment in the hospital, Huy was allowed to return home as he got better. However, he has to come over to the hospital for re-examination once every quarter.
Huy posted his one-year fight against the bone cancer and the photos depicting his treatment in the hospital on social media. His story was viewed and liked by quite a few social media users. He told thanhnien.vn that he would continue his schooling, trying to become a teacher or a lecturer in the near future.
ECMO helps save the artist’s life
On March 25, Thanh Tuan, a well-known cải lương (a genre of southern folk opera) artist, was transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC in a coma because of a severe heart attack. After a quick consultation, the doctors decided to apply state-of-the-art treatment methods to save the life of the artist.
The Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO – a type of life support using a heart-lung machine to temporarily take over the functions of the heart and lungs) was undertaken for the patient. Then he underwent angioplasty and stent insertion. The doctors also applied intensive care measures to protect the patient’s brain and heart.
The doctors at Cho Ray Hospital told vnexpress.net that Artist Thanh Tuan, whose real name is Nguyen Thanh Liem, 75, was able to eat and drink by himself and could be sent home in the immediate future. The famous cải lương singer was awarded the people’s artist title in 2019 for his great contributions to the southern folk opera.
