"Mr. Population"

Clever propaganda

“Medical man” or “population man” is the affectionate name that people in village 4 in particular and Binh Thang commune in general affectionately call Mr. Le Sy Yem (76 years old), a population collaborator in village 4, Binh Thang commune, Bu Gia Map district. It was thought that this job was only suitable for women, but in the blink of an eye, he has been involved in population work for 28 years. The image of the “population man” diligently “going to every alley, knocking on every door” to meet and exchange necessary information with the people has become familiar.

Population collaborator Le The Dung consults women with young children to get vaccinated at the right time to protect their children's overall health.

Ms. Vu Thi Diem Quynh, a resident of Village 4, said: When I was pregnant, I often looked for information online and consulted with a doctor. At the same time, Dr. Yem often came to my house to remind me to supplement nutrition and remind me to schedule vaccinations for my baby after birth. Dr. Yem works very enthusiastically and wholeheartedly for the health of people in the area.

If women have many advantages in promoting population work, men like Mr. Yem also have their own ways of doing things and bring high efficiency. “At first, when I worked as a population collaborator, talking about reproductive health with women was very awkward. However, with my prestige and experience, I gradually built trust with the people here. With population work, I cleverly promoted in a "half-joking, half-serious" way, thereby creating openness and friendliness so that everyone happily listened. That's all, I have no experience at all!" - Mr. Yem confided.

Population collaborator Le Sy Yem visits a young pregnant woman's home to advise her on health and post-natal vaccinations.

Before taking on the job of population collaborator, Mr. Yem was a medical staff at rubber plantations. Returning to his hometown, because of his experience in health, he was also in charge of village health work and population collaborator. Mr. Yem is one of 50 outstanding citizens of Binh Phuoc honored at the 50th anniversary of the province's Liberation Day (March 23, 1975 - March 23, 2025).

Doctor Lam Thanh Minh, Head of Binh Thang Commune Health Station, said: Although Uncle Yem is old, he is still enthusiastic about his work. He is close to the people, has gentle, appropriate and effective propaganda methods. When a case arises, he reports it promptly and we all have a solution immediately, preventing infection in the community.

30 years of continuous efforts

With more than 30 years of working as a “home-cooked meal and a village chief”, Mr. Le The Dung is one of the typical “population men” in Da Kia commune, Bu Gia Map district. The job is unique, comes with many difficulties, and little allowance, but because he loves the job, he is determined to stick with it. He has a way of propagating and talking that is reasonable and logical. Therefore, the person being propagandized does not feel shy but is very open and frank in talking to him.

At the age of 76, Mr. Le Sy Yem is still enthusiastic about his work, contributing to the success of healthcare at the grassroots level.

Mr. Dung shared: “To be successful in population propaganda, we must identify the right target. If meeting married women to encourage them to have fewer children and advising on family planning methods is difficult and sensitive, then I go to meet husbands, explain to them and accompany their wives to change their views. “Slow and steady wins the race”, depending on each case, there will be appropriate ways of speaking, so that people listen and do it together, the goal is to know how to take care of their own health, their family’s health and improve the quality of the population. It is important for people working in population work to love their job, to always make efforts and to try constantly”.

Although there are not many male population collaborators, they work very effectively. Each person has a different method and way of working, but the common point is to become a bridge to bring population policy and family planning into life. Thereby, contributing to improving health care knowledge and quality of life for people.

Doctor BACH SY LONG, Head of the Provincial Population Office

Binh Phuoc province currently has 1,371 population collaborators. Whether male or female, most of them are local people, living in the community, so they can clearly understand the needs and characteristics of each subject to choose the appropriate way to exchange and convey content about population - family planning. If women have the advantages of being close and easy to talk to, men when taking on this job also have certain advantages. In particular, they always stay close to the area, regularly improve their knowledge, practice propaganda skills... to accompany people in reproductive health issues in particular and population work in general.

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/9/171107/ong-dan-so