Doctors extend their volunteer journey

Thanh Quynh • DNUM_CEZAIZCACE 09:59

They are students of Hanoi Medical University and frontline doctors of the Central Government working in Hanoi, sharing the same sentiment towards their beloved hometown Nghe An. That sentiment has been the motivation for over 10 years, they have together extended their volunteer journey towards the difficult lands of Nghe An...

Thanh Quynh• 08/24/2024 10:00

They are students of Hanoi Medical University and frontline doctors of the Central Government working in the capital, sharing the same sentiment towards their beloved hometown Nghe An. That sentiment has been the motivation for over 10 years, they have together extended their volunteer journey towards the difficult lands of Nghe An...

Bringing hope to remote villages

Nguyen Thanh Long - a second-year student of Hanoi Medical University, the leader of the school's volunteer student team, welcomed us to Chau Nga Commune Health Station (Quy Chau) when half of his shirt was soaked with sweat. On a somewhat old motorbike, Long smiled and said that this was the motorbike he borrowed from the locals to pick up the group. After nearly a dozen days of volunteering here, the feelings between the students and the locals have become extremely close.

To show gratitude to their homeland, every year, a team of doctors and students from Hanoi Medical University from Nghe An come together to carry out medical examinations, treatment and provide free medicine to people in disadvantaged areas of the province.

This year, the volunteer team chose Chau Nga commune, Quy Chau district - one of the areas with more than 98% ethnic minorities to implement the Summer Student Volunteer Campaign.

The volunteer program ended with the activity of supporting free medical examination and medicine provision to nearly 600 local people. To ensure effective medical examination, consultation and medicine provision, from early morning, 75 doctors, nurses and student volunteers were busy preparing for the necessary work.

Present at the examination, we witnessed a bustling scene, as many people had arrived very early. In front of the clinic yard, dozens of benches were arranged very neatly, people, mainly the elderly and children, sat neatly with their queue numbers in hand.

In the front row, Mrs. Lim Thi Nga (born in 1957) was chewing betel while telling that her house was at the end of Mun village, with only two old people relying on each other because their children were working far away. Her family was near-poor, and her legs had been aching for a long time, and every time she climbed the stairs of the stilt house, she would cry. Drinking some medicinal leaves helped a little, but unfortunately, it also caused her stomach to get sick. While she was at a loss for what to do, a group of doctors from Hanoi arrived, and she was very happy. This morning, thanks to the volunteer students who took her there early, she was able to have an endoscopy of her stomach, and now she only needed to have her legs examined before she would be given free medicine.

Sitting on the other side of the bench, Mrs. Pham Thi Toa (born in 1960) said that her house is in Nga Son village, so it is much more convenient to go to the clinic. Since 7am, she has been examined by a doctor and given medicine. It turns out that her leg pain for a long time was due to dry joint fluid, which she did not know. Only when the doctor examined her, prescribed medicine and instructed her on how to eat and live scientifically, did she understand many things. Holding the medicine bag in her hand, she felt extremely happy because people from ethnic minority areas like her never have the opportunity to go to the capital to be examined by a doctor at the central level.

Inside the waiting area is a system of clinics divided into areas for pediatrics, pharmacy, obstetrics, dentistry, ultrasound, electrocardiography, internal medicine and surgery.

To provide maximum support to the people, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Chairman of Nghe An Young Doctors Association, one of the first people to develop the idea of ​​establishing Nghe An Association of Hanoi Medical University, was also present early.

With his connection, the Nghe An Young Doctors Association rented modern equipment, including 3 ultrasound machines, 2 electrocardiogram machines, a pathology machine and an eye examination machine to serve the people. At the same time, they called on sponsors to donate 60 gifts to people in difficult circumstances in Chau Nga commune. That support has partly helped the people ease their current hardships.

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The Nghe An Association of Hanoi Medical University in its early days had 36 members. After many years of operating separately, since 2020, the Association has become a member of the National Volunteer Center (VVC) with the current number of members being 471 people.

On average, each year, the Association examines, treats and provides free medicine to 500 people. Many people in difficult circumstances with serious illnesses have been promptly treated, helping them to have more faith in the principle of “a good doctor is like a mother”.

The miracle of love

During their volunteer activities, the medical team has connected and supported many patients to overcome the line between life and death. The warm story of a Tho ethnic boy in the mountainous commune of Giai Xuan, Tan Ky district still remains in the memory of Dr. Truong Sy Du (born in 1998) - Resident Doctor specializing in Oncology, Hanoi Medical University.

In 2018, he and other young doctors and nurses carried out volunteer activities in Tan Ky district. During the medical examination, the volunteer team discovered that Truong Bao Ninh (born in 2010) had a very serious heart disease. At that time, he was 8 years old but weighed only 12kg, his body was pale and only skin and bones. Because of his persistent illness, he had to take 6 months off school, and perhaps in the future, he would not have the strength to go to school. His family was poor, his mother worked as a hired hand, patching up things to make ends meet, and they did not even have money to repair the dilapidated thatched house. Because of poverty, the family could not afford to treat Ninh.

Faced with this situation, the volunteer student team successfully contacted benefactors to conduct a medical examination, create a medical record and perform a free heart surgery for the boy at Hanoi Medical University Hospital. The surgery was successful beyond expectations. And now, Truong Bao Ninh has become a studious, healthy 14-year-old student.

Doctor Truong Sy Du is also a native of Giai Xuan commune, Tan Ky district. For many years, every time Tet comes, he often visits Ninh. Seeing his grandchild grow up and be healthy is also a happiness that he receives after the journey of giving love.

Previously, 52 volunteer students from Hanoi Medical University also carried out many meaningful volunteer activities in Chau Nga commune such as free teaching for children, building a garbage pit for Chau Nga Primary School, renovating the grounds of the tomb of General Lang Van Thiet in Chau Hoi commune and many meaningful programs for policy families in the area. Despite the lack of living conditions, the students still maintain a rare spirit of enthusiasm.

Through these meaningful trips, the future doctors have equipped themselves with a new luggage, which is compassion for the countless difficult circumstances in the province. That luggage is something that no book or notebook can provide in the journey of training a doctor with virtue, talent, and dedication to the sick...