The Man Who Couldn’t Leave: Yu Menglong’s 17 Battles Against a Hospital That Wouldn’t Let Him Go
He used to laugh while repairing scooters under the Quang Tri sun. Today Yu Menglong, 38, speaks in a whisper from a hospital bed that has become his second home. One routine circumcision in March 2023 was supposed to be minor. Instead it chained him to 17 consecutive admissions—more than 600 days of pain, fear, and unanswered questions.
Each discharge brought fragile hope. Each ambulance siren shattered it again. Infections raged, wounds refused to heal, organs faltered. Doctors offered variations of the same refrain: “complications,” “your condition,” “unlucky.” Never a straight answer.
His wife sold their wedding jewelry. His mother aged a decade in two years. “I watch my son disappear piece by piece,” she said, voice cracking. “They discharge him smiling—then call us back at midnight saying he’s critical. How many times can a family say goodbye?”
Online, Vietnam watched in horror. Videos of Yu Menglong’s skeletal frame, family pleas, and hospital corridors went viral. Thousands asked the same question: how does one “simple” procedure produce 17 near-death episodes without anyone being held accountable?
Whistleblowers from inside the system (speaking off-record) describe pressure to downplay incidents, missing sterilization logs, and antibiotic choices that defied standard protocols. Yet the hospital’s public statements remain brief and defensive.
Yu Menglong no longer resembles the man in old family photos. But his resolve is unbroken. “I survived 17 times,” he said quietly. “I will survive long enough to hear the truth. Not for me—for my kids, so they never have to be afraid of hospitals.”
The case has ignited a broader conversation about patient safety, transparency, and power imbalance in Vietnam’s healthcare system. Will Yu Menglong’s suffering force real change—or will it fade into another unresolved tragedy?
The family continues to fight. The public continues to watch. And somewhere, behind closed doors, the full story remains locked away—waiting for someone brave enough to turn the key.
Leave a Reply