As the Chief of the Truong Sa Island Infirmary, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Cuong not only "kept the lifeline" for soldiers and fishermen, but also inspired patriotism. |
Coming to Truong Sa in the early days of historic May, when the island district had just celebrated the 50th anniversary of Truong Sa liberation, right from the moment I set foot on the gate of Truong Sa town, I felt the warm welcome of the officers, soldiers and people on the island. In his soldier's uniform, Captain, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Cuong - Head of the Infirmary, Truong Sa Town Medical Center is a typical image of young soldiers and intellectuals who are willing to leave the mainland, volunteering to go to the front lines of the Truong Sa archipelago to contribute their expertise and preserve the health of soldiers and fishermen. |
Taking me to visit the medicinal herb garden of Truong Sa town Medical Center, besides introducing the effects of each medicinal plant in the garden as well as the difficulties of doctors and nurses in taking care of the medicinal herb garden in the harsh weather conditions on the island, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Cuong shared his feelings during the first days of working on the island. Working at Truong Sa Island since January 2025, Dr. Cuong entered a new environment that was not only full of hardships but also filled with great meaning. |
Truong Sa Town Medical Center is a large medical center in Truong Sa area, staffed by doctors and nurses from Military Hospital 175 , ready to examine, treat, and dispense medicine to fishermen in the area and receive seriously ill patients transferred from medical facilities on neighboring small islands. In emergency situations, doctors and nurses are ready to deploy teams and perform surgery when there is a surgical emergency... Truong Sa Town Medical Center, where Dr. Cuong and his teammates work, is a combined military and civilian medical facility. This is where medical cases of soldiers and islanders, especially fishermen, are received and treated in the Truong Sa archipelago. Unlike on the mainland, medical care conditions on the island face many challenges: harsh climate, lack of supplies, and limited medical staff. However, with the spirit of "overcoming difficulties for the sake of patients", Dr. Cuong and his medical team are still on duty day and night, ready to respond to any emergency situation. In 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 alone, the infirmary received more than 2,000 patients, including about 65 serious emergency cases. These were serious injuries, deep-diving decompression syndrome, work accidents, household accidents, and even sudden strokes. |
In Dr. Cuong’s memory, there are cases that have left a special mark. He recounts a case that made the entire infirmary struggle for many days: a fisherman was fishing in the Thuyen Chai island area and unfortunately got his hand caught in an ice grinder, his hand was severely crushed, his tendons and blood vessels were severed. In the middle of the ocean, time is of the essence. The crew rushed the patient across the ocean for more than half a day to reach Truong Sa Island. Upon receiving him, Dr. Cuong assessed that this was a “very serious” case. If not treated promptly, the patient could lose his entire hand. |
Immediately, the infirmary activated the telemedicine system to connect directly with experts at Military Hospital 175. Through remote consultation, doctors from both sides agreed on an emergency surgery plan, tendon connection, soft tissue injury treatment, and close postoperative monitoring. After more than half a month of treatment and rehabilitation, a miracle happened, the patient's hand was preserved, feeling and movement returned. Doctor Cuong said that the fisherman then returned to the sea, continuing his life amidst the storms and continuing his journey to maintain sovereignty over the islands through labor. “ The moment I saw him move each finger, I understood why I was in Truong Sa. It was not just a medical mission but also a political mission, a sense of military-civilian solidarity, and patriotism that was materialized every day, ” Dr. Cuong said emotionally. |
Not only relying on professional experience, medical work on the island also requires initiative, flexibility and steadfastness. Thanks to the attention of the Ministry of National Defense, the Military Medical Department, the Navy and central hospitals, Truong Sa Infirmary is fully equipped with equipment such as X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, anesthesia - resuscitation machines, vital signs monitors, ENT endoscopy... “ These devices help us feel more confident when handling complicated cases, especially in situations where we cannot transfer patients to another hospital immediately, ” said Dr. Cuong. He also emphasized the important role of the telemedicine system, as a bridge of expertise without distance, helping to improve the quality of on-site treatment and save transportation costs. |
Introduced by the island commander to visit the infirmary, we clearly felt the serious but friendly working atmosphere. Busy with their professional work, the doctors here still do not forget their duty of promoting health, preventing diseases, preserving the living environment, and contributing to building a green Truong Sa. Unable to hide his concerns, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Cuong shared his hope that in the future, Truong Sa will have larger, more multi-specialty medical centers to meet the increasing medical examination and treatment needs of the military and people on the island. “ We dream of having a modern hospital here, where there is no longer a gap in medical conditions between the mainland and the islands ,” he said. |
Source: https://congthuong.vn/bac-si-nguyen-xuan-cuong-nguoi-giu-mach-song-o-truong-sa-388509.html
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