Meeting the border doctor in Mong Pha Lom village

On a cold night of the first monsoon of 2018, I followed the doctor - Major Tran Xuan Phuong to visit the village elder Xong Chong Cua in Pha Lom village, Tam Hop commune (Tuong Duong district). For the past few days, old Cua had a high fever and had to stay in bed.

Talking and giving instructions, choosing medicine from the bag he carried, Doctor Phuong guided Cua in a way that was easy to remember, easy to understand and better implemented the treatment regimen that had been instructed.

Major Tran Xuan Phuong came to the house to examine the village elder of Xong Chong Cua. Photo: Hai Thuong

After taking the medicine given by the military doctor Phuong, his voice still weak and tired, old Cua said: “Whenever people in the village are sick, the military doctor of Tam Hop Border Post comes to their house to examine and give them medicine. I have been sick for 2-3 days now, with a cough and pneumonia. Thanks to the military doctor Phuong examined me and gave me enough medicine, my illness has improved a lot now.

For over 20 years, working in villages bordering Vietnam-Laos, Major - Doctor Tran Xuan Phuong has always fulfilled his duty of taking good care of people's health. For over a year, he has been assigned to be in charge of the combined military-civilian medical station in Pha Lom village, Tam Hop commune. He has used his salary many times to buy additional medicines that are lacking at the station with the aim of effectively treating people and maintaining the prestige of the border medical station.

Previously, people in Pha Lom village had to walk dozens of kilometers through the forest to get medical treatment at the commune health station or district hospital. Now, people do not have to travel as hard because there is a combined military-civilian medical station in Pha Lom village led by Major Tran Xuan Phuong.

Doctor - Major Tran Xuan Phuong examines at the combined military-civilian medical station. Photo: Hai Thuong

Staying close to the people and the village, doctor Phuong researched new treatment regimens for common diseases to put into practice to treat people.

In particular, he collected, planted and cared for precious medicinal plants in the area to improve the quality of treatment and reduce the station's operating costs.

Regardless of day or night, when people need it, medical staff of Tam Hop Border Guard Station directly visit their homes to examine them. Photo: Hai Thuong

Doctor, Major Tran Xuan Phuong shared: “When I came to work at the military-civilian medical station, I was very worried, especially when I discovered diseases without medicine to treat them, making it difficult for people to travel. Therefore, I proposed to the station command to open more medicine cabinets to serve the villagers with medicine to treat their diseases"./.