Amidst the vast ocean waves, the medical facility on Nam Yet – located on the northeastern part of the Truong Sa archipelago, Khanh Hoa province – serves as a solid anchor, caring for the health of both the military personnel stationed there and providing fishermen with peace of mind as they venture out to sea.

During the calm sea days of April in Truong Sa, strolling under the coconut trees of Nam Yet Island, members of the working delegation from the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army joyfully visited the doctors and physicians of the medical facility on Nam Yet Island. Seeing the operating room equipped with modern facilities, Colonel Le Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Military Medical Department, General Department of Logistics, warmly greeted, “Hello everyone!”. Both visitors and hosts were once teachers and students at the Vietnam Military Medical University.

Major, Doctor Le Ba Hanh, introduced the modern equipment that the hospital is equipped with.

The medical facility on Nam Yet Island is managed by doctors and physicians from Military Hospital 103 and the Vietnam Military Medical University. From the upgrading of the hospital’s infrastructure to maximizing the expertise of medical professionals, enabling them to plan various medical approaches and practice regularly even in the absence of patients, these quick visits have swiftly become a platform for professional knowledge-sharing. Major, Doctor Le Ba Hanh, the hospital director, proudly showcased the Telemedicine remote consultation system, connected to mainland doctors via the internet, alongside dedicated air conditioning and power backup systems for uninterrupted surgeries. Additionally, the hospital boasts X-ray machines, post-operative recovery rooms, and emergency care units.

Encountering familiar faces who were once students at the Vietnam Military Medical University, Colonel Le Van Dong shared, “It’s truly delightful and proud to see familiar faces in Truong Sa healthy and robust. Looking at the statistics of treated cases off the island, it’s evident that a capable medical force is a solid support for fishermen to venture out more, instilling confidence in officers and soldiers on the island.”

The delegation met with and shared insights with the doctors at the medical facility

With only seven medical officers, the hospital operates at a district-level scale, modern and well-equipped. With the current facilities, the hospital can handle emergency cases, preserve patients’ lives, or deal with complex cases before transferring them to the mainland. The remote consultation system is a supportive tool, but the most important asset for the island’s medical team is their collective strength in on-site consultations. The thorough knowledge and skills enable them to independently make timely decisions.

Having been a student at the Vietnam Military Medical University and then a doctor at Military Hospital 103 since 2017, Major, Doctor Le Ba Hanh, who also served as the head of the Covid-19 prevention team in Binh Duong, finds such distant missions not challenging. Doctor Hanh asserts, “Where there are people, there are soldiers, there are military doctors. Before going to the island, I learned about all the equipment available there. With the current equipment on the island, we can perform surgeries such as appendicitis, organ perforations, or manage complex cases ensuring the patient’s survival before transferring them to the mainland.”

The medical equipment system on the island has been upgraded, with the addition of many modern devices.

Recently, a patient from Da Nang on Da Lon Island complained of abdominal pain and was transferred to the medical facility on Nam Yet Island for treatment at 23:00. After examination, the patient was diagnosed with acute appendicitis on the fifth day. Major, Doctor Le Ba Hanh, the hospital’s director, decided to perform surgery. After more than an hour of surgery, the operation was successful. The patient’s health stabilized and they were discharged after a few days. Severe emergency cases are always consulted with doctors from Military Hospital 103 and Military Hospital 175. “There was a night when we received a patient with complex perineal injuries; I called Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Trong Hoe, Head of the Department of Digestive Surgery, for advice and professional consultation,” Doctor Hanh said.

Despite having modern equipment, Doctor Hanh still worries about regular maintenance due to “machines, after purchase, are usually periodically inspected and calibrated by the manufacturers. With the current transportation and weather conditions in Truong Sa, to prolong the lifespan of the equipment, we strive to better maintain them.

Digital X-ray machine.

“With experience from the Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Center, Military Hospital 103, Lieutenant, Doctor Ha Van Tri was assigned to Nam Yet Island in January 2024. Doctor Tri shares, “In just three months, the hospital has examined nearly 200 soldiers, treated 10 fishermen’s wounds, and performed 14 surgeries. Going to Truong Sa is a memorable experience in life. We all feel honored and responsible to care for and protect the health of officers, soldiers working on the island, contributing to maintaining the sovereignty of our country’s seas and islands.”

Encouraging the doctors and staff at the medical facility on Nam Yet Island, Colonel Nguyen Dinh Ngan, Deputy Director of Military Hospital 103, affirms, “Taking on challenging tasks, with a sense of responsibility, unity, the military doctors here always creatively apply the knowledge and experience to promptly assess the patients’ conditions and autonomously handle situations.”

Expressing confidence and trust in the “green uniformed doctors” on the island, Major Nguyen Van Trong, the Political Officer of Nam Yet Island, says, “The medical team is dedicated and trustworthy, instilling confidence in the health of officers, soldiers, and people on the island. Currently, the hospital’s upgraded equipment system closely resembles that on the mainland. This is also a location for neighboring islands to transfer trade and receive timely emergency medical diagnoses and treatment.”

Truong Sa is a big home for soldiers, relatives, and fishermen at sea. Medical facilities like the medical facility on Nam Yet Island not only play an important role in regular health care and protection, but also provide additional trust and motivation for officers, soldiers, and people to cling to the islands, contribute practically to maintaining the sovereignty of the homeland’s sacred seas and islands.

Article and Photos by: THU HA, Translated by: NGUYEN THI KIM LUYEN