Health care for people in mountainous areas: Leaving no one behind

After establishing new communes in mountainous areas with large areas and many ethnic minorities, taking care of people's health was given top priority. In Tra Lien and Tra Doc communes, commune leaders immediately visited and learned about the health care situation for people in the highlands.

Medical examination and treatment for people in mountainous areas is currently mainly carried out at commune-level health stations. Photo: DIEM LE

People feel secure about medical examination and treatment at the facility.

At Tra Doc Commune Health Station, we met Ms. Ho Thi Van - a Ca Dong ethnic group who came to the commune health station for a medical examination. Due to her advanced age, traveling on mountainous roads is quite difficult. Ms. Van said that she only goes to the health station when she is in a lot of pain and has to ask her children and grandchildren to take her there.

After examining and consulting Mrs. Van, the doctor carefully took out the medicine for her and classified it. Because of her old age and inability to read, the doctor had to give her detailed advice about the color of the medicine and take careful notes so that her family could assist her when taking the medicine.

Ms. Van said: “In the past, when people were sick, they often picked forest leaves to boil water to drink, and if that didn’t work, they would pray to the gods to cure their illness. In recent years, doctors and officials have come to my house to promote medical examination and treatment. I listened to them, went to the doctor to get medicine, and felt less pain, so I believed in the doctor.”

According to Dr. Lai The Co - Head of Tra Doc Commune Health Station, after merging Tra Bui and Tra Doc communes into Tra Doc commune, the whole commune has 2,315 households, with 10,452 people.

Ms. Ho Thi Van was consulted and carefully noted down about each type of medicine, how to take it, and when to take it to avoid confusion. Photo: DIEM LE

Merging two communes makes the area larger, roads are difficult to travel, some villages such as village 3B of the commune still do not have electricity. Therefore, access to medical services and information for the Ca Dong people in the locality is still difficult.

In recent times, the health care program for people in mountainous areas has had many policies and practical support, bringing about efficiency in improving the lives and health of the people. Propaganda to people has been carried out more in remote villages, so bad customs such as drinking forest leaves, worshiping when sick, and illness have been greatly reduced.

“People have known to go to hospitals and health stations for medical examination and treatment. For young women, the situation of giving birth at home has also been limited, except in cases of premature birth or long distances to the health station, then women give birth at home. In these cases, the village health workers will be there promptly to guide and assist the mother in giving birth and report to the local health station for timely monitoring and care instructions,” said Dr. Co.

Prioritize people's health care

Immediately after stabilizing the organization and operating smoothly, the leaders of Tra Lien commune (merging the three communes of Tra Kot, Tra Nu, and Tra Dong) went to the grassroots to learn about people's health care. Visiting the Tra Lien Commune Health Station, Ms. Le Thi Thu Van - Secretary of the Tra Lien Commune Party Committee listened to the thoughts and suggestions of local doctors and nurses.

Chairman of Tra Doc Commune People's Committee Phan Duy Hung visited and encouraged doctors and people who are being treated at Tra Doc Commune Health Station. Photo: DIEM LE

Through the actual inspection, local leaders also grasped the current status of facilities, equipment and resources to have a direction for the medical station to stabilize its operations, gradually integrate and improve the quality of medical examination and treatment for people in the whole commune after the merger.

Ms. Van also noted to the medical team of Tra Lien commune: The new commune currently borders Quang Ngai province, has an area of about 130km2 and a population of more than 10,000 people, so health care for the people needs to be given more attention.

Regarding the difficulties of grassroots health care activities, commune leaders will make recommendations to the professional sector as well as city leaders so that in the future there will be better policies to care for and invest in grassroots health care.

In Tra Doc commune, after surveying the actual operation of the Health Station, Mr. Phan Duy Hung - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee said: "In the beginning, we prioritized spending time going to the grassroots, learning, promptly grasping the living conditions, health care of the people, especially the elderly and children of the Ca Dong ethnic group. There are still many difficulties ahead, but we will try our best not to disappoint the people's trust in the commune leaders, as well as contribute to improving all aspects of life of the people in the mountainous areas".

Source: https://baodanang.vn/cham-soc-suc-khoe-nguoi-dan-mien-nui-khong-de-ai-bi-bo-lai-phia-sau-3296944.html