Do Hong Ngoc is a pediatrician, an artist, a writer, and a poet with the pen name Do Nghe. He was born in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, in 1940. His hometown is Lagi-Ham Tan, Binh Tuy/Binh Thuan Provinve. He finished his medical training at the Medical School of Saigon University in 1969 with a specialty in Pediatrics. He was an intern at Children's Hospital in Saigon from 1968 to 1969, and Head of its Emergency Room from 1973 to 1975. He was Head of the Emergency Ward of Children's Hospital I from 1975 to 1985. From 1985 to 2005 he was the Director of the Center for Health Education in Saigon. In 1993 he got a Fellowship from the School of Public Health, Harvard University, then in 1997 another Fellowship in health education from CFES, France. He was Visiting Professor in Pediatrics at the the Medical and Pharmarcy School in Ho Chi Minh City from 1985 to 1995. Since 1989 he has served as Chair of the Department of Behavior Science and Health Education at the Center for Health Professionals Training and Development in Ho Chi Minh City (Pham Ngoc Thach Medical College nowadays). He has been a regular contributor to several journals, magazines, and newspapers before and after 1975, which serve readers from various socio-cultural backgrounds (Bach Khoa, Mai, Y Thuc, Tuoi Ngoc, May Hong, Tuoi Tre, Phu Nu, Thanh Nien, Muc Tim, Ao Trang, Doanh Nhan Cuoi Tuan, Sai Gon Tiep Thi, Van Hoa Phat Giao, Giac Ngo, Kien Thuc Ngay Nay). He has retired, but can be reached at dohongngocbs@gmail.com.
His works include:
Prose:
Gió heo may đã về (1997) Early Chilly Breezes Have Returned
Già ơi…Chào bạn! (1999) Hello, Old Age!
Nghĩ từ trái tim (2003) Thoughts from the Heart
Những người trẻ lạ lùng (2001) Odd Youths
Thầy thúôc & Bệnh nhân (2001) The Physician and the Patient
Như ngàn thang thuốc bổ (2001) Like Thousands of Portions of Energizing Medical Herbs
Cành mai sân trước (tuyển tập, 2003) A Branch of Mai Blossoms from the Front Yard
Thư gởi người bận rộn (2005) Letter to Those Who Are Busy
Khi người ta lớn (2007) When One Grows Up
Như thị (2007) As Is
Chẳng cũng khoái ru?(2008) Isn't It Nice and Comfortable?
Gươm báu trao tay (2008) Treasure Sword to Pass Down
Verse:
Tình Người (1967) Human Love
Thơ Đỗ Nghê (1973) Do Nghe's Poems
Giữa hoàng hôn xưa (1993) Amidst the Past Twightlight
Vòng quanh (1997) Round and Round
Biển của một thời (in chung, 1999) Sea of the Bygone Times (published with another author)
Sương mù một thuở (in chung, 2001) Fog of the Bygone Days (published with another author)
Thư cho bé sơ sinh & những bài thơ khác (2010) Letter to a Newborn and Other Poems
Writings for Teen Agers:
Những tật bệnh thông thường trong lứa tuổi học trò (1972) Common Diseases at School Age
Nói chuyện sức khỏe với tuổi mới lớn (1989) Talks about Health with Preteens
Bệnh ở tuổi hoc trò (1990) Diseases at School Age
Viết cho Tuổi mới lớn (1995) Writings for Preteens
Với tuổi mười lăm (1997) To Those Who Are Fifteen
Bỗng nhiên mà họ lớn (2000) Out of a Sudden They Grew up
Bác sĩ và những câu hỏi của tuổi mới lớn (2003) The Physician and Preteens' Questions
Tuổi mới lớn (tuyển tập, 2005) The Preteen
Writings for Those Who Are Mothers:
Viết cho các bà mẹ sinh con đầu lòng (1974) Writings for First-Time Moms
Săn sóc con em nơi xa thầy thuốc (1986) Taking Care of Your Child Where No Physicians Are Available
Nuôi con (1988) Raising Children
Sức khỏe trẻ em (1991) Children's Health
He was born into a poor family during wartime, and had to move with his parents from place to place. At 5 he contracted many diseases caused by malnutrition, malaria, and poor hygiene. When he was 12 years old, his dad died without any physician's help nor medication. After that his mother and he had to live in a Buddhist temple in the woods with his aunt, who had disabilities, and who supported herself by weaving buong leaves to make objects for sale. He had to help his aunt to dry the leaves on the temple yard, and took them inside whenever it rained. Every morning each of them always had a bowl of rice gruel for breakfast. His aunt loved reading, and usually asked him to go to a bookstore nearby to rent some books for her. He thus developed a life-long love for books, and took every opportunity to read as much as he could from the bookstore whenever and wherever he could.
One day his uncle, Nguiễn Ngu Í (Nguyễn Hữu Ngư), a well-known poet and writer who had a mental illness, came from Saigon for a visit. Nguyen took pity on the young nephew, and decided to help the boy enroll in an elementary school run by his friend, free of charge. He later often brought magazines and books for the boy to read. At first Do was allowed to start at grade 3, but after some months, he was capable to skip classes and finally was in grade 5. At the end of the year his academic performance was so good that he was awarded with many gifts from the school and from his aunt.
He passed the entrance exam into Phan Boi Chau Junior High School in town, and continued to study there while helping his mother with her small business as a vendor. Then his mother decided to move back to their old town at Lagi, Binh Tuy. Do's education was suddenly disrupted, because there was no high school at Lagi at that time. He had to stay home to help his mother again for three more years until a high school was built up. He had to start with grade 6 again, but hoped he could skip classes, just as he had done before.
One day while he was on a trip to Saigon to buy goods from wholesalers for his mother, he came across Guide to Students by Nguyen Hien Le, who was a famous Vietnamese scholar. First published in 1951, the inspiring book had changed his life. After reading it, he started to plan his own schooling, chiefly through self education. Years later, when he had become a physician, Do wrote a sequel to that book, which was published in 1972 entitled Common Diseases at School Age with Nguyen Hien Le writing the forewords to the book.
According to Do Hong Ngoc, in life there are books who are our true friends and teachers, with whom we can share our thoughts, emotions and dreams. Guide to Students by Nguyen Hien Le is one of such books. It is not theoretical, but very practical, because in it the author shares his own learning experiences. What is most valuable in the book is the fact that it inspires self confidence in the young reader, who with a strong determination started to set up an education plan for himself.
Years later he became a parent and a physician working in the emergency room. A tragedy happened to his family; helplessly he had to witness his twenty-one-year-old daughter, a promising medical student in her prime time, dying in a traffic accident. Do Hong Ngoc himself has had to struggle against stomach hemorrhage and a stroke. Having undergone such painful experiences, he developed valuable insights about life and death. He has attentively listened to, and diligently contributed in practical ways to relieve human sufferings in his own capacity.
As a physician he takes care of his patients' physical health, and treats their illnesses. As a writer he gives others necessary advice in a gentle, reassuring and witty voice from the bottom of his mind and heart. He leads a simple life, but thinks himself a workaholic, even a work maniac. He loves children, and enjoys taking care of their health. He wrote:
It is exciting for me to examine little children, for they can't talk, but sometimes grasp my glasses or my stethoscope, or pee into my face instead. It is even more exciting when, after a long time, the same guy comes back for help with another little guy, who is his own child.
As Do Hong Ngoc grows older, his writings become more religious and philosophical with the influence of Buddhism. Do Hong Ngoc the writer and the poet is well intermingled with Do Hong Ngoc the physician, just as he said, "When I write, I don't consider myself a physician giving advice to patients. I just talk with them as a member in their family." He humorously says that he is very proud to share the same household with four women of different generations: his 93-year-old mother, his over-60 wife, his youngest 33-year-old daughter, and his 3-year-old granddaughter.
At the age of over 70, he continues teaching Medical Ethics, Behavioral Science, and Health Education at Pham Ngoc Thach Medical College, and contributes articles to many journals and magazines, or gives health-related talks to different groups. He still has time for socializing, writing poems, and drawing pictures.
Sources:
http://www.dohongngoc.com/web/mot-chut-toi/cac-bai-tra-loi-phong-van/ngay-thay-thuoc-viet-nam-trao-doi-voi-mot-nguoi-ban-tre/#more-4097
http://www.dohongngoc.com/web/mot-chut-toi/ghien-mui-nha-thuong-roi-thanh-bac-si/#more-4129
http://www.dohongngoc.com/web/mot-chut-toi/cac-bai-tra-loi-phong-van/bs-do-hong-ngoc-tra-loi-phong-van-cua-nha-bao-song-pham/#more-2221
http://www.dohongngoc.com/web/goc-nhin-nhan-dinh/do-hong-ngoc-bac-si-thi-si-va-hoa-si/
http://www.dohongngoc.com/web/mot-chut-toi/muoi-nam-chan-buoc-tren-duong-dai/
