These medical professionals continue their charitable journey.
They are students from Hanoi Medical University and frontline doctors working in Hanoi, sharing a common longing for their beloved homeland of Nghe An. This longing has motivated them for over 10 years to continue their charitable journey towards the disadvantaged areas of Nghe An...
Thanh Quynh• August 24, 2024, 10:00 AM
They are students from Hanoi Medical University and frontline doctors working in the capital, all sharing a common longing for their beloved homeland of Nghe An. This longing has been the driving force behind their philanthropic journey towards the disadvantaged areas of Nghe An for over 10 years...
Bringing hope to remote villages.
Nguyen Thanh Long, a second-year student at Hanoi Medical University and the team leader of the university's student volunteer team, welcomed us to the Chau Nga Commune Health Station (Quy Chau district) with his shirt half-drenched in sweat. On his somewhat old motorbike, Long smiled and said, "This is a motorbike I borrowed from a local to pick up the team." After nearly a dozen days of volunteering here, the bond between the students and the local people has become incredibly close.
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To show their gratitude to their homeland, every year, doctors and students from Hanoi Medical University, originally from Nghe An province, come together to carry out activities providing free medical examinations, treatment, and medication to people in disadvantaged areas of the province.
This year, the volunteer team chose Chau Nga commune, Quy Chau district – one of the areas where over 98% of the population are ethnic minorities – to implement the Summer Student Volunteer Campaign.
The volunteer program concluded with the provision of free medical examinations and medication to nearly 600 local residents. To ensure the effectiveness of the examinations, consultations, and medication distribution, 75 doctors, nurses, and student volunteers were busy preparing for the necessary tasks from early morning.
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Present at the examination, we witnessed a bustling scene, with many people having arrived very early to wait. In front of the health station, dozens of benches were neatly arranged, and people, mostly the elderly and children, sat properly with their numbered tickets in hand.
Sitting in the front row, Mrs. Lim Thi Nga (born in 1957), chewing betel nut, recounted how her family lived at the end of Mun village, relying only on each other because their children had gone away to work. Her family was classified as near-poor, and she had suffered from leg pain for a long time, bringing tears to her eyes every time she climbed the stairs of her stilt house. She tried various herbal remedies, which provided some relief, but unfortunately, it also caused stomach problems. While she was at a loss for what to do, she was overjoyed when a team of doctors from Hanoi arrived. This morning, thanks to the volunteer students who brought her here early, she had already undergone a stomach endoscopy; now she only needs a leg examination before receiving free medication.
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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 going to the health station is much more convenient for her. She had been examined and given medicine by the doctor since 7 am. It turned out that her leg pain had been due to dry joint fluid, something she hadn't known. Only after the doctor examined her, prescribed medicine, and advised her on a healthy diet and lifestyle did she understand many things. Holding the bag of medicine in her hand, she felt incredibly happy because people in ethnic minority areas like her never had the opportunity to go to the capital to be examined by doctors from the central level.
Inside the waiting area is a system of examination rooms divided into sections for pediatrics, pharmacy, obstetrics, dentistry, ultrasound, electrocardiography, internal medicine, and surgery.
To provide maximum support to the community, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Chairman of the Nghe An Young Doctors Association, one of the first people to develop the idea of establishing the Nghe An Hometown Association at Hanoi Medical University, was also present from early on.
Through his connections, the Nghe An Young Doctors Association rented modern equipment, including 3 ultrasound machines, 2 electrocardiogram machines, a pathology machine, and an optometrist to serve the local people. At the same time, they appealed to sponsors to donate 60 gift packages to those in difficult circumstances in Chau Nga commune. These supports have somewhat helped alleviate the current hardships of the local people.
The Nghe An Alumni Association of Hanoi Medical University initially had 36 members. After many years of operating independently, since 2020, the Association has become a member of the Vietnam Volunteer Center (VVC) and currently has 471 members.
On average, the Association provides free medical examinations, treatment, and medication to 500 people each year. Many people in difficult circumstances suffering from serious illnesses have received timely treatment, strengthening their faith in the principle of "a good doctor is like a loving mother."
The miracle of love
Throughout their volunteer work, the medical team has connected with and supported many patients in overcoming the brink of death. The heartwarming story of a young boy from the Tho ethnic minority in Giai Xuan commune, Tan Ky district, remains vivid in the memory of Dr. Truong Sy Du (born in 1998) - a resident physician specializing in Oncology at Hanoi Medical University.
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In 2018, he and other young doctors and medical staff volunteered in Tan Ky district. During a medical examination, the volunteer team discovered that Truong Bao Ninh (born in 2010) had a very severe heart condition. At that time, he was 8 years old but weighed only 12 kg, his body was pale and emaciated. Due to his chronic illness, he had to miss school for 6 months, and it was likely that he would not have the strength to go to school in the future. His family was classified as poor; his mother worked odd jobs to make ends meet, and they couldn't even afford to repair their dilapidated thatched house. Because of poverty, the family couldn't afford to treat Ninh's illness.
In that situation, the student volunteer team successfully contacted benefactors to arrange for free medical examinations, medical records, and heart surgery for the boy at Hanoi Medical University Hospital. The surgery was more successful than expected. And now, Truong Bao Ninh has become a healthy, studious 14-year-old student.
Dr. Truong Sy Du is also a native of Giai Xuan commune, Tan Ky district. For many years, he has visited Ninh every Tet holiday. Seeing the child grow up healthy is a source of happiness for him after his journey of giving love.
Previously, 52 volunteer students from Hanoi Medical University had also carried out many meaningful volunteer activities in Chau Nga commune, such as providing free tutoring for children, building a garbage pit for Chau Nga Primary School, beautifying the grounds of the Lang Van Thiet military memorial site in Chau Hoi commune, and many meaningful programs aimed at supporting policy beneficiary families in the area. Despite the challenging living conditions, the students maintained a rare spirit of enthusiasm.
Through these meaningful trips, the future doctors have equipped themselves with a new asset: compassion for the countless disadvantaged people in the province. This is an asset that no book can provide in the journey of training a doctor who is virtuous, talented, and wholeheartedly dedicated to their patients…
