On June 22, 2022, Ky Son District Medical Center successfully performed surgery to remove a uterine fibroid weighing nearly 1 kg for a Lao patient. The patient was Ms. Lau Y Xia, 54 years old, residing in Noong Het District, Xieng Khouang Province. Patient Lau Y Xia said: “Recently, I have often had prolonged abdominal pain and pale skin. I went to many places for examination but could not detect the disease. With the introduction of friends, my family took me to Ky Son District Medical Center for examination and treatment.”
Through examination, Ky Son District Medical Center discovered that Ms. Lau Y Xia had a large uterine fibroid tumor that needed urgent surgery. After consultation, the doctors performed a partial hysterectomy on the patient. After more than 1 hour, the surgery was successful, the entire uterine fibroid tumor was safely removed.
Doctor Sam Van Hai - Director of Ky Son District Medical Center said: "This is a relatively complicated surgery because the large tumor encroaches on the pelvic wall. During surgery, it is easy to damage surrounding organs such as the bladder and ureter. Moreover, the patient is old and in poor health... However, with the efforts and dedicated treatment, after 7 days the patient recovered well and returned home."
Noong Het District, Xieng Khouang Province borders Ky Son District, Nghe An Province. The medical capacity in Noong Het in particular and Xieng Khouang in general is still limited and underdeveloped. Internal and external surgery is still weak and lacking in both human resources and equipment, especially at the district and village level. Treatment for patients has long relied heavily on traditional medicine. Therefore, whenever they are seriously ill or have a prolonged illness, Lao patients often go to Ky Son District, Nghe An Province to seek help and support from doctors.
It is known that before the Covid-19 outbreak, Ky Son District Medical Center used to receive and treat about 100 Lao patients per year. Common diseases of Lao patients are chronic diseases, stomach, appendicitis, and injuries. Patients are not only from neighboring Noong Het district but also from more distant localities such as Muong Mok, Muong Kham, Muong Pek districts and Phon Sa Van city - Xieng Khouang provincial capital.
The Covid-19 epidemic has subsided. From May 9, 2022, Vietnam and Laos reopened the Nam Can international border gate. 10 Lao patients have been treated at the Ky Son District Medical Center. After patient Lau Y Xia, on June 29, 2022, the Ky Son District Medical Center received patient Lau Ba Sua, 24 years old, in Phong village, Noong Het district. Lau Ba Sua was riding a motorbike when a rope got stuck around his neck, causing his vocal cords to be constricted, his neck to swell, and he could not speak. After basic treatment, the Ky Son District Medical Center transferred the patient to Nghe An General Hospital for intensive treatment.
According to Dr. Hai: “Lao patients who come to Nghe An for treatment are often very poor, so the doctors and nurses in Ky Son district, Nghe An province, do their best to treat them and almost do not charge any fees. We consider Lao patients as our relatives!”
Doctor Hai still clearly remembers that in June 2016, the District Medical Center received a patient named Kham Chan, 50 years old, from Muong Mok district. After suffering a perforated stomach, he was treated with traditional medicine but was still in great pain. The family carried the patient through the forest and mountains through Muong Ai and Muong Tip communes, Ky Son district, and asked the Border Guard soldiers to take him to the Medical Center. At this time, the patient's entire intestines had shriveled up, and he had severe peritonitis. Seeing that the patient was so poor, during the treatment, the Center's medical staff supported him with food and accommodation; when the patient was cured and left, they also gave him gifts and transportation money.
The story of a doctor in Nghe An who became a “savior” and always considered Lao patients as relatives has further enhanced the great friendship between Vietnam and Laos. Many touching stories have been recorded at Nghe An General Hospital… On December 4, 2017, Nghe An General Hospital received patient Lau Ba Say (20 years old) in critical condition. Lau Ba Say was unfortunately hit by a hunting gun while going into the forest. He was hit by 9 bullets in his chest and abdomen. In addition to the wound to his heart, the patient also suffered a punctured stomach, large intestine, splenic flexure, small intestine… The hospital decided to perform emergency surgery to remove the foreign object, pulling the patient “from the hands of death”.
Every year, Nghe An General Hospital receives hundreds of Laotian patients for treatment. Many poor patients have been helped by the hospital. For example, patient Xong Dang, who suffered from acute tetanus and had a high mortality rate, was cured by the hospital in 2016. Due to the difficulties, his family repeatedly asked to take him home even though they had been told that the risk of death was very high. Given Xong Dang's circumstances and condition, the hospital advised and encouraged his family to persevere with treatment, and at the same time decided to waive nearly 150 million VND in hospital fees and provide free meals for 3 family members of the patient.
Or like patient Xong Nang Kha (50 years old) with vaginal choriocarcinoma, was cured by Nghe An General Hospital in 2015. When they learned that patient Xong Nang Kha was a farmer, her husband died early, leaving behind 10 children to raise... The hospital created all conditions to help and share with the patient, especially exempting the hospital fee of nearly 30 million VND, making the patient's family extremely grateful.
Not only that, for Lao patients who do not have the conditions to go to Nghe An for examination and treatment, Nghe An doctors have repeatedly traveled far to the neighboring country to treat them. The story of a doctor from Nghe An who traveled 400km from Vinh city to Phôn Sa Van city to perform emergency surgery on a patient was recorded: “At 8:00 p.m., Nghe An General Hospital suddenly received a phone call from the leader of Xieng Khouang General Hospital informing them about a patient with multiple injuries who was in critical condition and needed urgent professional support... After a quick discussion about the injury, Nghe An General Hospital immediately sent a team of doctors to Xieng Khouang. The ambulance was equipped with a ventilator, electric syringe pump, oxygen tank, vasopressor, cardiac support... and accelerated at full speed during the night. Early the next morning, Nghe An doctors arrived at Phôn Sa Van. Arriving straight at the hospital, Nghe An doctors immediately performed surgery on the patient. After several days of monitoring and realizing the need to bring the patient to Nghe An for treatment and care, Nghe An General Hospital decided to send a second team of doctors to to bring patients to Vietnam. To save a Lao patient, Vietnamese doctors had to go abroad twice in one week.
Master, Doctor Bun Phan Vong Ma Chan - Director of the Department of Health of Xieng Khouang province expressed: "Lao people in general, Xieng Khouang province in particular are very grateful for the help and dedicated treatment of doctors and nurses from Nghe An. There have been Lao patients who have received blood and life-giving donations from doctors and nurses from Nghe An and Vietnam to overcome serious illnesses... The special friendship between the two countries and peoples is truly precious."
