Person who specializes in finding relatives for mentally ill patients

Working at the Central Psychiatric Hospital 2 (in Bien Hoa city) for 21 years, Head Nurse of the Emergency - Resuscitation Department Nguyen Thi Tham has found relatives for hundreds of homeless or abandoned mental patients.

Head nurse of the Emergency and Resuscitation Department (Central Psychiatric Hospital 2) Nguyen Thi Tham measures blood pressure for a psychiatric patient being treated at the department. Photo: H. Dung

Nurse Tham said that working in the department, she witnessed many heartbreaking situations. There were patients who were first brought to the emergency room and treated by their family members, but later, the people who brought the patients to the hospital were neighbors, militiamen, and police.

There are many reasons why families abandon patients, such as: the family's circumstances are too difficult, they do not have enough money and conditions to take care of the mental patient; some families are indifferent and do not care about the patient. Therefore, there are homeless patients who die without their families coming to receive them.

Understanding and wanting to share some of the physical and mental pain of the patient, nurse Tham has found many ways to contact the patient's family, helping them to have the satisfaction of seeing their loved ones for the last time.

“Most mental patients are not aware and have poor memory. Therefore, when they are awake, I encourage them and ask them about the commune or ward where they live. Then, I call the 1080 hotline to ask for the phone number of the local police or the regional police to find relatives for the patient. There are families who, when I call to inform them, are in the middle of a conversation and they hang up and do not answer the next time I call. I text them to express my feelings and sincerity, telling them that the hospital waives hospital fees for patients and that the family does not have to pay any money; the hospital also provides transportation for deceased patients, even cremation support, so after that, many families came to the hospital to receive their loved ones and take the patients home. After each time like that, I feel very happy and relieved,” Ms. Tham shared.

Hanh Dung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202505/nguoi-chuyen-tim-than-nhan-cho-benh-nhan-tam-than-5e00493/