Medicinal herb gardens – symbols of vitality and self-reliance on remote islands.

Reporter:

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan: I was very surprised to see that almost every island has a lush garden of medicinal herbs. It's not just the color of the herbs, but also the color of life, aspiration, and the self-reliance and self-improvement of the officers and soldiers on the islands.

The Ministry of Health strongly encourages the integration of Eastern and Western medicine at the frontline level. Self-sufficiency in certain medicinal herbs for treating common ailments (colds, digestive problems, skin infections, etc.) not only reduces the burden of supplying medicines from the mainland but also provides a very accessible, safe, and sustainable healthcare approach for island residents. In the future, the Ministry of Health will direct the Department of Traditional Medicine Management to conduct in-depth research, in coordination with military medical forces, to select and breed medicinal plants that are more tolerant to salinity and drought.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan and children on Song Tu Tay Island. Photo: LE MINH

Military and civilian medical teams coordinate to provide the fastest possible emergency medical care at sea.

PV:

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan: Maritime and island healthcare is being implemented effectively with coordination between civilian and military medical services. To further enhance the effectiveness of maritime and island healthcare, the Ministry of Health has assigned relevant units to continue research and closely coordinate with military medical forces to help officers, soldiers, and people on the islands have timely and rapid access to medical care and the most appropriate handling of health-related situations.

We will also continue to actively coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies, especially the Ministry of National Defence and its medical facilities, to shift from a "case-by-case, support" coordination approach to a unified command and control mechanism for disaster and epidemic response at sea. We will institutionalize the air rescue process with a clear legal framework regarding costs, personnel, and system activation procedures.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan visits the Nam Yet Island Clinic. Photo: LE MINH

PV:

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan: We need to affirm: "Protecting the health of military personnel and civilians on the islands is protecting national sovereignty from early on and from afar." Over the past period, the Ministry of Health and related departments and agencies have developed programs and projects to develop maritime and island healthcare, and these programs are being gradually realized, contributing to improving the capacity of maritime and island healthcare so that officers, soldiers, and civilians can quickly access medical support when health incidents occur.

I believe that for healthcare in coastal and island areas, there needs to be specific regulations, including significantly different standards for equipment, medicines, and personnel compared to the mainland. We also see the crucial role of pre-hospital emergency medical services in coastal and island regions. We have done very well in air ambulance services, having conducted hundreds of helicopter flights to transport patients to the mainland for timely treatment. This is a tremendous effort by the State in its policy of supporting healthcare in coastal and island areas.

In the coming period, we need to further develop maritime emergency medical services so that people in remote islands can receive timely emergency care in case of health or life-threatening incidents. At the same time, we also need to strengthen the collaboration between military and civilian medical services in remote consultations, thereby helping to intervene in complex cases right at sea and on islands with support from the mainland.

Interaction between healthcare units. Photo: LE MINH

A special incentive mechanism is needed.

PV

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan: It can be said that the medical staff working on the islands and islets are "heroes." We deeply admire the volunteer spirit of the doctors and nurses here. They are not only medical professionals but also soldiers protecting the sacred sovereignty of our seas and islands. It is truly moving to meet the doctors and nurses, who, despite their young age, have volunteered to go to Truong Sa to contribute and serve, many of whom are graduates of residency programs.

I believe that the dedication of medical staff at the Truong Sa Special Economic Zone islands is the strongest internal force for the sustainable development of the maritime and island healthcare system. In the coming time, the Ministry of Health will advise the Government to finalize the legal framework on special remuneration for medical personnel working in the islands. We hope that no doctor who dedicates themselves to the sea and islands will be disadvantaged in their career development.

PV:

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/y-te/cac-van-de/xay-dung-diem-tua-y-te-giua-trung-khoi-1040149