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Doctor Hoang Thi Phuong is caring for residents in Thanh An Commune |
Being volunteers to the islandic commune of Thanh An (Can Gio District of Ho Chi Minh City), young doctors Nguyen Van Chien and Hoang Thi Phuong simply stated that it was because they wish to contribute their enthusiasm and professional skills to caring for the community.
Apart from the first two months feeling rather isolated with the mainland, the volunteers continuously felt the hospitality and warmness of local residents there. They have become closer to the inhabitants via medical trips to hamlet clinics to vaccinate children or spray disinfectant to neighborhoods. Now that the voluntary time comes to an end, they are planning to ask for extension.
Also aiming for a more meaningful life, doctor Nguyen Thu Tinh accepted the designation to Nhan Ai Hospital in Binh Phuoc Province to take care of HIV patients. Seeing that those patients truly need professional care, the doctor does not want to leave them behind.
Growing up in K’Ho Hamlet, 33-year-old doctor Ka Phuong Thao (Head of the Emergency Unit in Dam Rong District Clinic in Lam Dong Province) has experienced the poverty and disadvantages of local residents there, being one of the poorest in the country. That urged her to pursue the medical career and come back to serve her local community despite various invitations from famous hospitals in major cities.
“My mother has spent her whole life devoting to the local healthcare. I wish to continue her work”, exclaimed Thao. Understanding the economic challenges of the inhabitants leading to possible trouble in disease treatment, Thao and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of the district clinic established ‘Free Medicine Cabinet’ via support and charitable money raised from different sources to help patients unable to afford their prescriptions. So far, 90 percent of sick people coming to the clinic has accessed this cabinet.
“We have worked with the Financial Department of the clinic to buy medicine, with sufficient tracking on expiration date, drug batch number, drug quality. The ‘zero-dong price’ of these medicines is then informed to all doctors in the clinic and on medical bills of patients. Seeing that transparency, more donors have come to help us”, said Thao.
Doctor Nguyen Thu Tinh recalled that most patients transferred to Nhan Ai Hospital are drug addicts, gangsters. They usually suffer from opportunistic infections, making them rather weak and exhausted, not to mentioned being stigmatized by the society. They are aggressive and non-cooperative at first. Luckily, after being thoroughly and professionally cared, they could find themselves back and become a better version, as nice as a newborn. This has made the healthcare staff feel that their efforts have been well paid off, and thus more enthusiastically devote to the job.
