Physicians practice their profession in the 'hell on earth' of Phu Quoc

(Baonghean)- Captured by the enemy, sent to Phu Quoc prison, seeing his comrades being tortured, the communist soldier created needles for acupuncture, pain relief, wound treatment and at the same time fought for medicine..

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Mr. Nguyen Truong To (born in 1942) and his wife live in a small house in block 9, Doi Cung Ward (Vinh City). Their daily work is examining patients and prescribing medicine. The day we visited, he opened a drawer and took out two small objects. A small stack of papers that had turned “the color of time”, on which were written tiny lines of letters in straight lines and still quite clear.

The second item is a nail clipper with two ear picks attached with small rings. He brought those two items back from Phu Quoc prison, made by his own hands, and now they have become sacred souvenirs, which he would never exchange for even a thousand gold coins. In particular, he considers that small piece of paper to be priceless, because they are the medicinal recipes he collected and wrote down during his years in prison.

Mr. To confided: “Having been in this world for 75 years, there are so many things to remember. For me, the years in the imperial prison are unforgettable memories. Not only was there imprisonment and torture, but it was also a school that helped me train my character, will, medical ethics and professional skills.”

Despite his advanced age, Physician Nguyen Truong To is still dedicated to treating and saving people. Photo: Tuong Anh.

During the years of fighting the Americans, Nguyen Truong To was a medic on duty at the Tri-Thien front. He witnessed his comrades fall many times, soldiers wounded by enemy bombs and bullets, suffering so much pain. The medic always reminded himself to fulfill his duty, to do his best to treat wounded soldiers so that they could have the opportunity to return to their families and homeland. Saving a comrade's life was an added joy in life.

In mid-1968, during an unequal anti-sweep battle, he ran through enemy fire to bring wounded soldiers to the rear and was wounded, unconscious. When he woke up, he realized he had fallen into enemy hands. He was transferred to Non Nuoc prison (Da Nang), but could not get any information from him, so the enemy transferred him to Phu Quoc prison (Kien Giang) - a place known as "hell on earth".

Witnessing his comrades and teammates struggling under the whip, the sores oozing yellow fluid due to lack of antibiotics, the endless coughing fits, the bodies reduced to skin and bones, Mr. To could not hold back his tears. He proposed that the prison Party Committee allow the prisoners to fight to demand the enemy to distribute medicine and treat their illnesses. After many struggles, the seriously ill were finally examined and given medicine.

Nguyen Truong To wholeheartedly instructed everyone on how to treat the disease, prescribed the medicines and the treatment time. Especially for those who were tortured by the enemy and had injuries all over their bodies, with pain like needles and salt rubbing, he helped them relieve the pain by acupuncture. Because in those cases, acupuncture was the only way to circulate blood and remove toxic gases from the body.

Two souvenirs (a small notebook with prescriptions and a nail clipper and two ear picks) brought back from Phu Quoc prison by physician Nguyen Truong To. Photo: Tuong Anh.

But in prison, where could one get acupuncture needles? Mr. To came up with the idea of ​​collecting small pieces of steel, grinding them into thin pieces, sharpening them, and rolling them into needles. With this unique creation, he helped many comrades and teammates reduce their physical pain.

Treating patients in prison taught Mr. Nguyen Truong To valuable lessons, which were recorded in a small notebook. Then, when someone told him about a good remedy, he wrote it down so that he could treat patients in the future. During his 5 years in prison (1968 - 1973), he wrote down a whole notebook with dozens of remedies and ways to treat diseases.

On the day of repatriation under the Paris Agreement, prisoners of war were not allowed to bring anything across the border. Unable to throw away what he had painstakingly written down, Mr. To came up with a way to swallow the paper deep into his throat, without the enemy suspecting anything during inspection. From then on, the paper became a “treasure”, always cherished and carefully kept.

After being repatriated, Nguyen Truong To passed the entrance exam to Hanoi Medical University, graduated and worked at Nghe An Department of Health, then became Chairman of the Provincial Oriental Medicine Association. He participated in compiling 10 works on Oriental medicine, was awarded the Hai Thuong Lan Ong Award by the Ministry of Health, and was honored with the title of Outstanding Physician by the Vietnam Oriental Medicine Association.

Tuong Anh