Doctors of the Vietnam army medical corps are on permanent duty in the open seas of the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago in the East Vietnam Sea. Some of them have spent over ten years working at these sites. Their ‘clients’ are mostly fishermen of both Vietnamese and foreign nationalities.

The ‘hospital’ of Second Lieutenant Bui Viet Tuyen at Da Lat shoal in Truong Sa is just a small room with a single bed. The room has helped save around 1,000 patients, said Tuyen, who has worked there for a year.

The room has received 50 cases of bacterial contamination and 24 cases of poisoning for the past one year.

Captain Nguyen Van Nhiem, of Da Tay Island in Truong Sa, said he can remember clearly the faces and voices of all the fishermen whom he has helped when reading the medical record book with the names and telephone numbers of patients.

“Fishermen often visit islands near their fishing ground to inquire after medical staff who helped them,” said Nhiem.

Doctors on the open sea are often busier during times of good weather, when fishermen go further and longer out to sea to catch fish.

Nguyen Thanh Si Ne, a fisherman from the south-central province of Phu Yen, admitted he and other colleagues always prepare medicine before going out to sea, but diseases are unpredictable.

Ne, who is illiterate, said he always visits any island possible to ask doctors for guidance on medicine he bought ashore because “no doctor is more careful than doctors at sea.”

Vo Cong Vinh is one of the most experienced medical staff at sea since he started working on the Truong Sa islands 15 years ago.

“During my initial days at sea, I missed my family a lot and wrote letters to my wife every day. A ship visited us just once every six months then,” he recalled.

Medical staff on Truong Sa Island. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Vinh has worked on many islands in Truong Sa, including Da Lat, Sinh Ton, and Truong Sa Lon, which are his second home.

“I know I am at fault with my family since I couldn’t take care of my wife and children as much as other men. But my family understands why I am here, because fishermen and my colleagues need me here,” Vinh confessed during a talk with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

In many cases, doctors have had to send motorboats to sail toward a ship with a fisherman in danger despite rough seas and strong winds.

Doctor Le Minh Phong said medical staff will even get on boats to meet patients on the open sea to give them emergency aid.

Fisherman Pham Van Nen, from the central province of Quang Ngai, seriously hurt his right knee at sea on March 18 last year and was rushed to Da Lat for treatment.

The seas were rough but Doctor Tuyen and political commissar Nguyen Van Hung decided to send the patient to Truong Sa Island because the equipment on Da Lat Island failed to meet the needs for treatment.

“It took me two hours to cross 12 nautical miles to get the patient to Truong Sa,” the doctor recalled.

In Truong Sa, the love between fishermen and army officials is like the love between birth brothers.

An operation on patient Tran Van Giap on Truong Sa Island. Photo: Tuoi Tre

On a mobile hospital at sea

The hospital ship Khanh Hoa 01, or HQ561, of the Vietnam army medical corps, is in charge of giving health assurance to fishermen at sea.

With a loading capacity of 2,070 tons to accommodate nearly 200 people, it is the most modern hospital ship in Southeast Asia, and went into operation in early 2013.

So far, it has made over 20 trips at sea, lasting from 20 to 43 days each journey.

It is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to cover different diagnoses in the fields of cardioversion, decompression, biochemical tests, ultrasound, life support system, surgery, digital X-rays, and teeth, jaws, and faces. “On some trips, all 20 beds on the ship were occupied by patients,” said Doctor Thai Dam Luong of the ship.

“On receiving a phone call for help, we must identify their coordinates and come regardless of the weather conditions.

“Conducting surgery on the ship under harsh weather conditions is very difficult because any inaccuracy of a surgical knife may become fatal,” said Luong.

But medical staff are encouraged by their devotion at work when they hear the honest words of fishermen.

“We feel secure at seeing this hospital ship while fishing in the open sea,” said fisherman Nguyen Van Hoi.

Fishermen often give gifts to the staff of the ship, including what they catch such as precious fish and big octopuses, and doctors give them coffee, canned meat, cake and candy as gifts of gratitude.

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