Military - civilian - medical union in Truong Sa

The military medical team assigned to the Truong Sa archipelago has been on duty around the clock at various islands and outposts. They are dedicated to treating and caring for patients as if they were their own family members. Hundreds of patients, including fishermen working at sea and those living on the islands, have received medical care. This support helps everyone feel secure while they are in their fishing grounds and engaged in offshore fishing activities.

Help many fishermen in distress

We visited the Truong Sa Town Medical Center, located in the Truong Sa Island district of Khanh Hoa, where the medical team had just performed surgery to save a fisherman. Young doctor Hoang Van Tuan from Military Hospital 175 guided us in visiting a patient named Mr. Nguyen Sang, a fisherman from Binh Dinh. He had recently undergone surgery for appendicitis and was fortunate to have escaped from critical condition. Mr. Sang said that while his fleet was fishing about 150 nautical miles from Truong Sa Lon Island, he had appendicitis. The crew immediately took him to Truong Sa Lon Island for treatment. His health is now stable. “The soldiers and doctors of Military Hospital 175 on Truong Sa Lon Island saved me from life-threatening danger. I sincerely thank you for your dedicated treatment and care," Mr. Sang said emotionally.

Doctor Hoang Van Tuan confided that he has been on duty in Truong Sa archipelago for over a year now. This is the second time he has had a memorable experience when he and his colleagues promptly rescued a patient, a fisherman (Mr. Nguyen Sang) who had an accident while fishing far from shore. “In August 2023, shortly after I arrived at Truong Sa Lon Island for my month-long assignment, the Truong Sa Town Medical Center received two serious cases, one of which involved a patient with an open brain injury. The medical team from Military Hospital 175 on the island promptly consulted on both cases. After being rescued from a critical situation and stabilized, the air ambulance team from Military Hospital 175, along with the helicopter crew from Army Corps 18, safely transported the two patients back to the mainland for further treatment," Dr. Tuan shared.

Doctor Hoang Van Tuan stated that although Truong Sa Town is located far from the mainland, the attention and support from Party committees at all levels, as well as local authorities, departments, branches, and organizations, have led to significant investments in the medical center. The Truong Sa Town Medical Center is now equipped with modern, synchronous equipment, making it capable of receiving and treating patients from the islands and points within the Truong Sa archipelago. For cases that exceed the center's treatment capacity, patients are flown to the mainland for further emergency care and treatment. “I take great pride in helping to ensure the health of officers, soldiers, fishermen, and residents of the Truong Sa archipelago. Our team of doctors treats everyone on the islands, including the fishermen, as if they were our own family. We are dedicated to providing heartfelt care and treatment to all...", said Dr. Tuan.

Overcome difficulties in the middle of the ocean

Truong Sa Town Medical Center is regarded as a premier hospital. Compared to other islands in the Truong Sa archipelago, the center is well-equipped with advanced facilities, medical instruments, and diagnostic tools... In 2024, the Town Medical Center did a good job of taking care of the health, examining and treating, and giving emergency aid to fishermen; specifically, examining and giving medicine to nearly 2,000 officers, soldiers, and people, providing emergency aid to 98 cases, and performing surgery on 168 cases...

Major Dr. Vo Cat Thanh, Head of the An Bang Island Infirmary in the Truong Sa archipelago, reported that in 2024, the military medical team on the island quickly responded to and rescued three boats, aiding 11 fishermen in distress within Vietnam’s territorial waters. Most recently, on November 3, 2024, the infirmary successfully performed an appendectomy on a soldier stationed on the island. The soldier has since fully recovered and is continuing his work on the island. “Tet 2025 will be the first Tet festival that I spend away from the mainland. The medical team on An Bang Island is prepared to ensure that the officers and soldiers there can celebrate a warm, joyful, and meaningful Tet. The medical team and soldiers of An Bang island would like to send our thanks and wish people across the country a peaceful and prosperous spring," Dr. Thanh confided.

Lieutenant Colonel Mai Quang Tuyen, the Deputy Political Commissar of Brigade 146, headed a delegation visiting the officers, soldiers, and residents of the Truong Sa archipelago to extend New Year wishes. He noted that despite the challenging conditions and harsh weather at sea, medical teams stationed on the islands have consistently worked hard to overcome these difficulties in recent years. They have excelled in their mission to provide healthcare for officers, soldiers, local residents, and fishermen. This dedication has helped instill a sense of security among the personnel and communities, enabling them to remain steadfast in their duties, whether by safeguarding their posts or engaging in fishing activities, while protecting the sacred sovereignty of the nation's sea and islands.

Reported by Minh Duy - Translated by Ngoc Huynh