"Leverage" for healthcare in remote areas - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station

- Binh Gia is one of the poor, remote and isolated districts of the province. The project "Piloting young volunteer doctors to work in mountainous, remote, border, island and areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions" according to Decision 585/QD-BYT dated February 20, 2013 of the Ministry of Health (Project 585) was implemented as a "lever" to improve the quality of medical examination, treatment and health care for people in the area.

Doctor Trieu Thi Hoa, Deputy Head of the Department of Emergency - Intensive Care - Anti-Poison, Binh Gia Medical Center performs the procedure of aspiration and removal of knee joint fluid.

In 2018, Dr. Trieu Thi Hoa, a Dao ethnic, currently Deputy Head of the Department of Emergency - Intensive Care - Anti-Poison, Binh Gia Medical Center, was sent to train as a specialist in emergency resuscitation at Hanoi Medical University under Project 585. After a thorough training process, from 2020 to present, the Dao female doctor has always actively connected with upper-level hospitals and coordinated with neighboring hospitals to successfully perform many complex procedures such as: Placing a Cartheter (central venous catheter) under ultrasound guidance, aspiration of pleural fluid under ultrasound guidance... On average, Dr. Hoa performs about 50 cases per year, including more than 20 difficult cases.

Dr. Hoa shared: Project 585 has given me the opportunity to access specialized knowledge, modern procedures and good doctors at the central level. When I returned to Binh Gia, I was confident in handling difficult emergency cases at the district level. The greatest joy is taking advantage of the golden time to save patients' lives and people do not have to travel far for treatment like before.

Also one of the doctors trained in the first specialty under Project 585, in 2019, after completing the training program, Dr. Ban Van Chien, Department of General Surgery, was the first to bring laparoscopic surgery to the district hospital to treat abdominal diseases such as appendicitis, ovarian cyst removal, ectopic pregnancy removal, gastric perforation suture... On average, each year, Dr. Chien successfully handles more than 100 complicated surgeries, saving the lives of patients in emergency situations. If in the past, these cases had to be transferred to a higher-level hospital, now they can be treated with peace of mind at the district hospital.

Patient Hoang Khanh Ly, Hoang Van Thu commune, Binh Gia district said: On the evening of May 18, I had a severe stomachache at midnight and was taken to the district health center for emergency treatment. Doctor Chien examined me and directly performed laparoscopic surgery to remove my appendix that night. My health is much better now, the incision is small and heals quickly. With such good doctors at the district level, we, the people, feel very secure.

Along with Dr. Hoa and Dr. Chien, from 2017 to present, Binh Gia Medical Center has 9 doctors sent for training under Project 585 with full specialties: internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, emergency resuscitation, diagnostic imaging, of which 6 people have completed the training program and returned to work one after another. They are the core force to transfer and guide "hand-holding" doctors, nurses, and technicians of the hospital, creating a team to implement many new and advanced technical services such as: endotracheal intubation, complex bone fusion, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gastric perforation suturing... contributing to improving the quality of on-site medical examination and treatment, gradually narrowing the medical gap between urban and mountainous areas.

Thanks to the doctors reinforced under Project 585, the quality of medical examination and treatment at the center has improved significantly. To date, Binh Gia Medical Center has become a Grade II hospital with more than 5,000 technical service categories, including 3,200 on-line technical services and more than 1,800 off-line techniques. People increasingly trust the quality of medical examination and treatment at the center with the number of patients increasing every year. In 2024, the center had more than 38,000 people coming for medical examination and treatment, an increase of 5.4% compared to 2023, including more than 10,300 inpatients, an increase of 4.9% compared to 2023. Since the beginning of 2025, there have been more than 13,000 people coming for medical examination and treatment, nearly 4,000 inpatients, reaching nearly 40% of the 2025 plan target.

Doctor Bui Huynh Dinh, Director of Binh Gia Medical Center shared: Providing health care for people in a poor and extremely disadvantaged district of the province, Binh Gia Medical Center is the first unit in the province to participate in Project 585 with the largest number of trained doctors in the district. From a medical facility lacking resources, up to now, the District Medical Center has gradually consolidated its staff, improved the quality of medical examination and treatment, not only limiting referrals, saving time and treatment costs but also providing opportunities for care and improving health for the people.

To fully develop the skills of doctors after training and improve the quality of medical examination and treatment, Binh Gia District Medical Center continues to propose departments and branches to pay attention and create favorable conditions for investment in modern machinery and equipment to implement new and advanced technical services, better meeting the health care needs of local people.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/don-bay-cho-y-te-vung-kho-5047781.html