29-year-old doctor Hoàng Minh Lý. Photo courtesy of Hoàng Minh Lý's family.

HÀ NỘI Hoàng Minh Lý, a young doctor at the National Cancer Hospital remains in a critical condition after a shocking accident at a coffee shop.

Lý was crushed by a giant glass window falling from the second floor of The Coffee House in Thái Hà, Hà Nội when she went out for coffee with her friends on April 20.

The building had been violently shaken by the thunderstorm of April 20, which led to the window falling onto Lý, who was on the first floor when the accident happened.

The young doctor was immediately brought to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with multiple injuries to her spine, ribs and bone marrow, as well as a fourth-grade liver injury and a second-grade spleen injury.

Lý underwent two surgeries and is currently being monitored at the Hà Nội Medical University Hospital. According to doctors, the chance of Lý being paralysed from the accident is still high.

Deputy Minister of Health Trần Văn Thuấn visited Lý in the Hà Nội Medical University Hospital on Thursday and wished the best for the young doctor.

Twenty nine year old Lý, a native of Nghệ An province, overcame a life of hardships to become a doctor, graduating from Hà Nội Medical University in 2019 and finished her oncology residency in 2022.

Her father, a soldier stationed near the border 500 kilometres away from Hà Nội, rushed to the capital only to find his beloved daughter in coma.

In another tragedy for the family, Lý's mother is also suffering from lymphoma and is currently under treatment in the National Cancer Hospital where she worked.

The shocking scene of the accident on April 20. Photo tuoitre.vn

Community calls for response

As two family members are now in the hospital, Lý's father is trying to manage the finances, with Lý's friends and colleagues calling for help on social media.

The call for something to be done has intensified over the last few days, with social media users piling onto The Coffee House's pages demanding that the owner of the coffee franchise, who has not yet spoken of the incident, make a public comment. Some on social media even threatened to boycott the coffee venue.

On Thursday evening, The Coffee House issued a statement on its website acknowledging the incident and stating that the falling glass had injured four employees and three customers, including Lý.

The shop immediately evacuated the remaining customers to a storage room for shelter and quickly informed local police. On April 21, the four employees and two other customers were discharged from hospital.

The Coffee House said they had been in touch with Lý and her family in the hospital and along with the management board of Việt Tower (where the shop was located), have offered to support the family and are waiting to hear back.

Meanwhile, Lý's colleagues are still calling for help to support the doctor in her recovery. For additional details, readers should contact Dr. Phan Văn Tân, leader of the HMU Nghệ An Compatriots' Club at +84 349251769.

VNS