The healer of the village

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Health check for the village elder

Midnight calls

Amid the steady sound of rain from midnight to dawn in the border forests, Major Doan Xuan Phuoc suddenly woke up to urgent knocking on the door. “It can only be an emergency,” he thought as he quickly got up and rushed to open the duty room door. Outside stood the anxious face of Ho Van Honh’s wife. At midnight, Mr. Honh had suddenly experienced difficulty breathing, and his wife had hurried through the rain to the clinic to seek help from the military medic. Major Phuoc quickly grabbed his medical bag and followed her through the rain back to A Tin village. The night was thick with darkness, occasionally split by flashes of lightning.

Mr. Honh suffered from severe gout and cardiovascular disease. Sudden breathing difficulties could be extremely dangerous. Dr. Phuoc checked his blood pressure, administered medication, and sat beside his bed for an hour to monitor his condition. Only after a final check, when he saw that Mr. Honh was responding to the medicine and stabilizing, did Major Phuoc pack up and leave. By then, the village roosters had begun to crow.

In the vast forests of A Luoi, it often rains with thunderstorms in the late afternoon or deep into the night. Cases like Mr. Honh’s, where the military medic braved the storm to visit sick villagers, were not uncommon. Village elder Dang Son Thy was deeply moved as he recalled the case of Mrs. Le Thi Tien, a woman with a history of heart disease who had a sudden breathing attack in the dead of night. Her family, hands trembling, dialed Major Phuoc’s number. After just one ring, he answered, and despite the heavy rain, he arrived immediately.

Major Phuoc’s phone also rang urgently when Mr. Nguyen Van Lu suffered a severe stroke at midnight. The healer in the military uniform jumped up, rushed to the patient, administered first aid, and called A Luoi District Medical Center to send an ambulance. Mr. Lu was transported to the hospital just in time for treatment.

Similarly, when Mr. Ho Van Ah writhed in pain and collapsed after severe vomiting, Major Phuoc was there immediately. Suspecting a bile duct infection, he contacted the A Luoi District Medical Center, arranged for an ambulance, and ensured Mr. Ah received emergency care.

After examining and providing medicine to Lao villagers, Major Phuoc and his team bid them farewell and give instructions on medication use

"Like my fellow military medics in the border villages, I never dare to be careless and let my phone run out of battery. Late at night and in the early morning, there are often heavy rains and thunderstorms, so I always keep my phone on the highest volume. Most importantly, I never sleep deeply, to ensure I don’t miss any calls from the villagers in the middle of the night, so I can promptly reach those in urgent need of medical care and provide them with initial examination and emergency treatment," shared Major Phuoc.

In these remote border villages, ethnic minority communities face many difficulties, with limited access to district hospitals. As a result, the combined military-civilian clinic and Major Doan Xuan Phuoc have become a pillar of support for them. Beyond working at the clinic, he visits long-term patients at home, checks their conditions, provides medicine, and teaches them how to care for themselves. Thanks to his guidance, many patients like Mr. Honh and Mrs. Tien, who were once bedridden and struggling to move, have regained mobility and can now return to farming.

A pillar of support for the people

By noon, the locals were carrying baskets and returning home to escape the increasingly sweltering heat. Major Ngo Thanh Thao, the Political Officer and Deputy Commander of the A Dot Border Guard Post, was visiting the medical station at the Lam Dot commune's military-civilian clinic when a man in faded work clothes helped another man into the clinic. The man was speaking Lao, and his face was pale. Major Phuoc immediately spoke in Lao, instructing the patient, Mr. Agul from the Ka Lo village in Ka Lum district, Se Kong province to lie down for an examination.

Mr. Agul was diagnosed with colitis. After prescribing medication and carefully explaining how to use it, Major Phuoc and Major Ngo Thanh Thao helped the patient's family lift him onto a motorcycle. The Lao villagers expressed their gratitude in broken Vietnamese: “Ka Lo village is still very poor, with difficult roads, and healthcare and education are nearly non-existent. When someone in the village falls ill, we have to go through A Dot Border Guard Station to get medicine and receive medical treatment in Vietnam. The Border Guard's kindness is deeply appreciated. We thank the Border Guards very much.”

Major Thao and Major Phuoc explained that Lao villagers receive free medical care in Vietnam, but they must provide the necessary paperwork. Many lack the required documents, meaning military medics cannot use health insurance supplies for them. To compensate, Major Phuoc and his unit frequently seek additional medicine from the A Luoi District Medical Center or request donations from volunteer medical groups visiting the border region. Essential medications for respiratory infections, digestive issues, skin diseases, and hypertension are always in high demand at the clinic.

Out of his 29 years in the military medical service, Major Phuoc has spent 22 years in the highlands of A Luoi, traveling through villages on both sides of the border to provide medical care. He not only understands the customs of ethnic minority groups but also speaks Paco, Ta Oi, and Lao.

In the past, when the ethnic minorities fell ill, they would still treat diseases according to old customs, such as holding ceremonies or going into the forest, into the mountain fields to dig up roots, pick leaves to boil for drinking, or apply onto the wounds. We, along with the authorities at all levels, in cooperation with village elders, village heads, and influential people in the communities, regularly go to spread awareness, encourage people to abandon these superstitions, educate them on disease prevention, how to take care of their health, maintain hygiene in the village, and family planning... Now, every month, the combined military-civilian medical station in the commune examines and treats several hundreds of people,” Major Phuoc shared.

Village elder Dang Son Thy confirmed that the community had changed because they trusted the border guards, who have protected their health and lives.“The dedication and responsibility of border guards like Major Doan Xuan Phuoc have significantly contributed to our mission. Earning the people’s trust is the most valuable reward for Major Phuoc and every border guard,” said Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Tien, Commander of the A Dot Border Guard Station.

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