Hearts shining with medical ethics

"Godmother" wearing a white blouse

Being able to study the profession she loves – the family’s traditional profession, and also being able to work in her hometown, for Ms. Tran Thi Tho “that is happiness”. The happiness was multiplied when she was assigned by the Board of Directors of Quynh Luu General Hospital to work as a midwife, welcoming new citizens into the world.

Head nurse Tran Thi Tho takes care of newborn babies.

Although it is a happy job, the midwife's job is also full of hardships and pressure with many specific requirements and demands. Ms. Tho shared: "The midwife's duty is to interact with pregnant women every day, helping them overcome labor pains. For pregnant women and women with poor prognoses such as threatened miscarriage, miscarriage, stillbirth... the midwife must be the one to provide spiritual medicine, which is professional knowledge, attitude, gentle communication, sympathy and sharing with the patient and the patient's family."

At the hospital, many people still call Ms. Tho “godmother” literally and figuratively. She tells the origin of this name: “At midnight one day in 2006, a family brought a pregnant woman, 40 weeks pregnant, to the emergency room. The mother had a detached placenta, pale skin, and a rapid pulse... The on-duty team quickly took the mother to the delivery room and after 5 minutes, a baby girl weighing 3.2 kg was born.

However, at this time, the mother's pulse was getting weaker, the baby girl was purple and could not cry. The on-duty team quickly split into two to save the mother and the baby. The baby's health was getting worse day by day, everyone was in despair. I myself could not accept that, tried every way, applied all my knowledge to save the baby from mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, external cardiac compression. After 30 minutes of perseverance, the baby cried and was saved, after 1 hour of care, she returned to normal. When I left the hospital room, the family came to thank me in tears, asking me to be the baby's godmother.

Head nurse Tran Thi Tho visits and encourages patients.

Exemplary, always completing all assigned tasks well, in 2007, "godmother" Tran Thi Tho was sent by the Hospital Board of Directors to attend a training course to improve professional qualifications from 2007 - 2011; in 2012 she was transferred to work as Deputy Head of Nursing Department and in 2015 she was promoted to Head of Nursing Department.

In her new position, Ms. Tho constantly sets higher training goals for herself, finding ways to help patients. Always caring, open, and gentle, whenever she has free time, Ms. Tho spends time visiting and encouraging patients to create friendly relationships to grasp their thoughts and wishes and is ready to explain their concerns and questions to help patients feel secure and confident when coming to the hospital for examination and treatment. Not only improving herself, Ms. Tho also transmits her love for the profession, inspiration, and thoughtful gestures to young colleagues throughout the hospital and is willing to guide and help them in their work and daily life. Since then, nurses at Quynh Luu General Hospital have been assured in their work, have made positive changes, have a thoughtful and gentle attitude towards patients, and are aware of improving their skills in caring for and treating patients.

With a heart for the sick, "godmother" Tran Thi Tho established the Quynh Luu Live Blood Bank Club, calling on everyone inside and outside the hospital to participate in humanitarian blood donation. With experience, study and research, Ms. Tho completed the initiative "Improved Patient Care Monitoring Form" approved by the Department of Health and put into use at the unit since October 2016. This set of forms has helped the nursing and midwifery team reduce administrative work to focus on caring for, guiding and consulting directly to the sick. Currently, Ms. Tho is also the Head of the Hospital Customer Care Team, trying to bring the most satisfaction and convenience to the sick.

Talking about head nurse Tran Thi Tho, Dr. Nguyen Sy Thanh - Director of Quynh Luu General Hospital said: "In 15 years of working in the profession, Ms. Tho has always upheld the spirit of responsibility and medical ethics. In her professional work, Ms. Tho constantly studies and cultivates new knowledge to excellently complete assigned tasks, making many contributions to the cause of protecting and caring for the health of all people in the area, and is a shining example for hospital staff to follow."

Station chief in "difficult" areas

After graduating from Vinh Medical College (now Vinh Medical University) in 1986, Mr. Tran Nguyen Lam worked at Nghia Loc Commune Health Station. At that time, the station faced many difficulties, with a lack of facilities and medical equipment. However, with his love for the profession, he was always dedicated to his work, overcoming difficulties with his colleagues, wholeheartedly taking care of people's health.

To accumulate knowledge and improve his skills to serve the people, in addition to working at the medical station, he regularly studies and learns knowledge from books and documents to improve his professional skills and meet the requirements of the job. Thanks to that, he and his colleagues have saved many patients from critical conditions.

Outside of work, Dr. Lam always improves his knowledge and expertise.

In 2009, after graduating from Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, he was appointed as the Head of Nghia Loc Commune Health Station. In his new position, Dr. Tran Nguyen Lam is even more aware of his responsibilities. “I personally promote the spirit of learning, self-training, always caring for patients, fulfilling my responsibilities, striving to do well the assigned work, so that patients coming here receive the best care. In particular, in 2019, the commune made important decisions to invest in medical services at the station to create favorable conditions for people to come for medical examination and treatment,” Dr. Lam shared.

From the characteristics of Nghia Loc commune, which is densely populated (nearly 19,000 people), Catholics account for 34%, and has a long area, Dr. Lam has consulted with the local Party Committee, government and organizations in the commune to organize propaganda to raise awareness and self-protection of health for the people. In particular, focusing on environmental sanitation to ensure compliance with new rural standards. Along with that, Dr. Lam has also directed the good implementation of medical examination and treatment. On average, each day, the station has over 60 people coming for medical examination and treatment.

Ms. Hoang Thi Ba in Binh Minh hamlet - one of many people who regularly come to the Commune Health Station for medical examination and treatment said: "I have been directly examined by Dr. Lam many times, the doctor is very close and dedicated. We hope to have more doctors who are dedicated and responsible to their profession like Dr. Lam".

With more than 30 years of dedication to the profession, having gone through many pressures and hardships of the medical profession, Dr. Tran Nguyen Lam has always maintained his enthusiasm and dedication to his work. With his great contributions to the medical career, Dr. Tran Nguyen Lam has received many certificates of merit from the province and district; for many consecutive years he has achieved the title of Emulation Fighter at the grassroots level, completing all tasks excellently.

Doctor Tran Nguyen Lam always maintains enthusiasm and dedication to his work.

Mr. Lai Van Duong - Vice Chairman of Nghia Loc Commune People's Committee said: "Doctor Lam is a skilled person with good moral qualities, thus highly appreciated by officials and people. Many difficult cases are directly treated by Dr. Lam, in order to reduce the number of patients transferred to higher levels. With responsibility and love for the profession, in recent years, Dr. Lam and the medical team of Nghia Loc Commune Health Station have boldly advised the industry and local authorities in investing in building facilities and medical equipment. Up to now, Nghia Loc Commune Health Station is the first station in Nghia Dan district to provide high-quality medical examination and treatment services such as: Ultrasound, cervical endoscopy, ear, nose, throat and other tests...".

BSCK1 Dang Ngoc Ha - Director of Nghia Dan District Medical Center said: "Doctor Tran Nguyen Lam is a prestigious person, works scientifically, and manages well. Although working in a special, densely populated area, he is very dynamic, close to the people in management, and is loved by many people. He is not only a doctor with good expertise, professionalism, and medical ethics, but also a shining example of the Nghia Dan District Health sector."

Thanh Hoa - Minh Thai