Dedicated green-uniformed doctor in Nghe An border area

Be there when people need you

At 8am, when Cao Veu 2 village was covered by the chill of the last days of the second lunar month, Mr. Lang Van Khun (born in 1953) was present at the clinic and provided free medicine - where military doctor Nguyen Ba Luong was on duty.

He said he spent the whole night waiting for morning to go see Dr. Luong because he was so tired and couldn't sleep. Since 2022, after a sudden stroke, he has been completely weak on the left side of his body. In recent days, the weather has changed, and with the high blood pressure tormenting him, he feels extremely tired. Over the past two years, Dr. Luong has become very familiar with his illness and has helped him a lot in the process of recovering from the stroke.

After completing the examination and taking medicine for Mr. Khun, military doctor Nguyen Ba Luong (born in 1973) had time to share about his journey of more than 5 years attached to Cao Veu land. He has worked in many positions, in which, he worked the longest at Keng Du Commune Health Station (Ky Son) and Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station (Quynh Luu) before transferring to work at Phuc Son Border Guard Station in early 2019.

At that time, the place we were standing was the old medical station that had stopped operating for many years. Because since 2013, according to the new planning, the commune medical station was moved to the central area near National Highway 7. After the doctors, nurses, and all medical supplies and medicines were moved away, the station became deserted.

At that time, the people of the border villages from Cao Veu 1 to Cao Veu 4 of Phuc Son commune were extremely worried. The distance from their homes to the new location of the commune health station was about 20 km of mountainous road. For the elderly who did not know how to ride motorbikes or bicycles, it was a long distance; not to mention the emergency cases, floods were really dangerous.

Understanding that concern, the local Party Committee, government and Phuc Son Border Guard Station have determined to deploy the model of "Border Medicine Cabinet", utilizing the old medical station as a clinic, dispensing medicine to the people. This is also the first model of the border guard force deployed in the Nghe An border area.

In the early days of implementing the model, to have medical equipment and medicine to distribute and treat free of charge to the local people, Phuc Son Border Guard Station had to call for help from agencies and units in the district and contributions from philanthropists.

Regarding the physical facilities, the soldiers of the station together repaired, cleaned, and restored the system of houses, tables, chairs, and equipment. Since February 2019, the model has been in operation and Dr. Nguyen Ba Luong has directly undertaken the work of visiting, examining, and providing medicine to people according to industry regulations.

Flipping through the pages carefully recorded with names, addresses, and medication dispensed in the medical examination and treatment book, Dr. Luong said that since its inception, the clinic has examined and dispensed medication to nearly 5,000 children and adults. And among them, there are cases that he will never forget...

In June 2023, while herding buffalo, Ms. To Thi Hang (33 years old in Cao Veu 3 village) was stung 13 times by a hornet on her head and face. More dangerously, the hornet also stung important acupuncture points on her face, causing the venom to spread rapidly. After only a few minutes, Ms. Hang became dizzy and fainted. People around discovered it and immediately called Dr. Luong.

He immediately went to the scene of the accident, quickly took ice to apply to the victim's head, limiting the venom from spreading into the blood; along with antivenom and necessary medical equipment. Thanks to timely intervention, Ms. Hang regained consciousness and after 4 days recovered.

And then, there were countless cases of work accidents in the forest, bites from rabid dogs, food poisoning… that were helped by Dr. Luong. He took on all the work alone but never once did he refuse a request for help from the people. Behind that calm appearance was a warm heart, ready to brave the sun and rain to support the poor people in the border villages.

Enhance the relationship between the army and the people

When he heard that we were visiting the “Border Medicine Cabinet” model of Phuc Son Border Guard Station, Mr. Dang Dinh Lam - Chief of Cao Veu 2 Village was excited to be there. He said that this afternoon he must invite the doctor and everyone to his house for dinner to be satisfied. Because for him, doctor Nguyen Ba Luong is like a family member, so the doctor's friend is also valued like that.

Village chief Dang Dinh Lam shared: Phuc Son Border Guard Station is located in Cao Veu 1 village, and the "Border Medicine Cabinet" model is located in Cao Veu 2 village. In recent times, the villagers have become familiar with the image of military doctor Nguyen Ba Luong who enthusiastically visits people's homes to examine them in all urgent cases. Everyone knows the doctor's phone number by heart, so that if necessary, they can contact him promptly.

In the past, when the villagers got sick, they often temporarily treated themselves with herbs around the house or in the forest, and only went to the health station when the illness became so severe that they could no longer bear it; now, the villagers know how to prevent diseases, understand the value of Western medical treatment methods, and trust in the abilities of doctors in green uniforms.

Major Le Van Giang - Deputy Political Commissar of Phuc Son Border Guard Station shared with us that Phuc Son Border Guard Station is stationed in Cao Veu 1 village, more than 20 km from the district center, managing 17 villages, including 4 Cao Veu villages bordering the border with more than 1,000 people, the majority of whom are ethnic minorities, living in difficult circumstances. Whenever they are sick, people face many difficulties in traveling and seeking medical examination and treatment.

Recognizing the importance of the "Border Medicine Cabinet" model for the people, in recent times, the Party Committee and the Command Board of the unit have always clearly defined their roles and responsibilities in command and direction. In addition to the equipment and medicines provided, the Command Board regularly pays attention and proactively advises and mobilizes organizations, individuals and philanthropists to share and support medicines to ensure service for the people.

Since 2019, the model has provided medical examination and treatment to nearly 5,000 people, including dozens of emergency cases due to work-related accidents. At the same time, the station has coordinated and called on organizations, individuals, and philanthropists to support medicines worth nearly 200 million VND.

Along with the medicine cabinet model in Phuc Son commune, up to now, Nghe An Border Guard has been deploying and maintaining effectively nearly 10 military-civilian medical clinics and border medicine cabinets. The quiet clinics at the border, with the image of dedicated military doctors, are always a solid support for people to rely on in times of danger, enhancing the steadfast military-civilian relationship.