Emergency on a canoe taking a patient from Thanh An island commune to the mainland of Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: DUYEN PHAN
At around 7:00 p.m. on May 15, the sky was dark, Doctor Nong Van Ngoc - Obstetrics Department, Trung Vuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City (a doctor assigned to Thanh An Island Commune Health Station, Can Gio District) - had just finished his shift when a female patient about 50 years old with a lung infection was transferred to the station with difficulty breathing.
Island emergency
After first aid on the spot, Dr. Ngoc, along with the medical staff and the patient’s family, quickly grabbed the oxygen tank and rushed onto the electric car to take the patient to the ferry dock, where the island commune’s only emergency canoe was parked. A storm began to arise, and the waves became stronger and stronger.
"If we don't take the patient to the other side of the mainland, he certainly won't last long," Dr. Ngoc decided to transfer the patient. The canoe rushed out to sea. Waves rolled one after another, but Dr. Ngoc tried to stay calm, keeping an oxygen tank and closely monitoring the patient. The small canoe swayed, forcing him to slow down to ensure safety. "Everyone on the boat tried to encourage each other. I was also worried because I had never treated such a dangerous case before," Dr. Ngoc recalled.
Seawater and rainwater started to overflow from both sides of the canoe, drenching everyone. Everyone worked together to shield the patient. After more than 20 minutes of "struggling" at sea, the canoe safely reached the other shore. At this time, the 115 emergency team was on standby to take her to the hospital.
"Only after arriving on the island can we see the hardships of the people on the island commune. Emergency care on the mainland is already difficult, but emergency care on the island is doubly difficult, especially when there is a lack of equipment during the rainy season," said Dr. Ngoc.
This is just one of many dangerous emergency cases that Dr. Ngoc and many other doctors were assigned to Thanh An island commune to treat.
On the first day Dr. Nguyen Trong Duy (Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases) set foot on the island, he immediately took on the task of providing emergency care to a man brought to the station with symptoms of severe respiratory failure.
At Thanh An ferry, just as the patient was being loaded onto the canoe, a heavy rain came with a big storm, and waves started to rise. The canoe rushed out into the pitch-black sea. The storm grew stronger, and the canoe swayed and drifted close to the rocky shore.
When the patient was transferred to Can Gio District Hospital for emergency treatment, Duy and the nurse returned to the island commune at dawn.
Wish for modern lifeboats
Having been with the people of Thanh An island commune for more than 20 years, Dr. Luan Thanh Truong - head of Thanh An island commune's medical station - told the story of how he used to travel on canoes and wooden boats to rescue people, especially on days of heavy rain and strong winds when they seemed to capsize in the middle of the sea. There were even cases where patients could not wait and died on the way to the mainland.
Not only the people of Thanh An island commune but also the people of Thieng Lieng hamlet and neighboring communes have more hope of being saved. Many fishermen fishing far from shore are also worried, some fishermen who suffered a stroke missed the golden time for treatment because the emergency vehicle could not take the patient away faster.
According to Dr. Truong, when we have professional emergency equipment, we can preserve the golden time for patients, including emergency care for fishermen fishing offshore. "No matter how good a doctor is, if he wastes the golden time, the risk of losing his life is very high," said Dr. Truong.
Many times, Dr. Nguyen Duy Long, director of the 115 Emergency Center in Ho Chi Minh City, had to exclaim "so risky" with the rescue trips at sea.
According to Dr. Long, the people of Thanh An island commune need to soon have a modern ambulance boat that can travel in bad weather such as thunderstorms, storms with heavy rain and strong winds so that doctors and patients can feel secure in emergency care. Currently, the 115 Emergency Center is researching a specialized waterway ambulance boat for the city, fully equipped with medical equipment and first aid tools, and able to travel in the worst weather.
Associate Professor, Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said: "If Thanh An also has an ambulance, emergency operations on the transport route, the ship can operate in conditions of big waves and strong winds while still ensuring safety for patients and medical staff.
Therefore, investing in a specialized rescue boat for Thanh An island commune, in my opinion, is a very urgent matter that needs to be prioritized number 1," Mr. Thuong emphasized.
In April 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved the project to develop a professional out-of-hospital emergency system for the period 2024-2030.
From now until 2026, Ho Chi Minh City will deploy waterway emergency services in Can Gio district, investing in an ambulance fully equipped with specialized medical equipment to meet the emergency needs of people in remote island communes.
After 2026, expand the waterway emergency model in the city center with a berth at Bach Dang and add a waterway emergency ship according to the city's development needs.
Developing water rescue will shorten rescue time
According to Major General Nguyen Hong Son - former Director of Military Hospital 175 , in reality, the road emergency system still faces many difficulties. Meanwhile, the canal system is very convenient for developing emergency by water. Therefore, there is a need for emergency canoes or ships and boats to travel along large rivers, making it easier to provide emergency aid to people, increasing the chance of survival for patients.
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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tang-them-phuong-tien-cap-cuu-ngoai-vien-thot-tim-nhung-ca-cap-cuu-tren-bien-20250617081121551.htm
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