Vietnamese Doctors' Day, February 27, 2025, is very close to the half-century anniversary of the liberation of Phu Yen, the complete liberation of the South, and the reunification of the country. On these days, 50 years ago, the team of doctors from the green Phu Yen war zone eagerly went to the front line, carrying out the orders of the Front Command led by Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Duy Luan.
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| Phu Yen's health sector is growing in both quantity and quality, especially in developing modern medicine. In the photo: A urological surgery at Phu Yen Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital. Photo: YEN LAN |
9 years of resistance against France
After the August Revolution, when the French colonialists opened fire to invade and temporarily occupy Nha Trang and Khanh Hoa province on October 23, 1945, the revolutionary government of Phu Yen province organized the Civilian Medical Board, opened a hospital room with 30 beds, received, provided first aid and treated wounded soldiers blocking the enemy at the Ca Pass defense line. In early 1946, the Civilian Medical Board's hospital room was changed to Phan Dinh Phung Military Medical Clinic, at times increasing to 150-250 beds, to promptly treat wounded soldiers and civilians.
In February 1946, the 27th Division was established, stationed in Tuy Hoa town, Phan Dinh Phung Military Hospital became the division's military hospital. Military Region 5 reinforced Phu Yen with doctors: Le Khac Quyen, Duong Ba Bang, Truong Gia Tho and established another military hospital in Song Cau provincial capital under the charge of doctor Duong Ba Bang. In March 1946, the central government reinforced Phu Yen with a surgical team under the charge of doctor Hoang Dinh Cau.
In addition to the management system of the 27th Division, 79th Regiment, there was also the 84th Regiment Military Medical Clinic located in Ban Nham, Ban Thach (Hoa Xuan commune, old Tuy Hoa district). To fulfill the role of the province at the head of the free zone of Inter-zone 5, the revolutionary government of Phu Yen province established the Health Department, appointing physician Pham Nhu Trac as the head of the department. The provincial health sector quickly trained staff, expanded treatment facilities throughout the localities to meet the needs of treating wounded soldiers, preventing and treating diseases for people throughout the province during the 9 years of resistance against the French.
Build medical facilities across the battlefields
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| Ms. Dam Thi Ly recalls the heroic years of participating in medical treatment during the war. Photo: PHAM THUY |
Entering the resistance war against the US, after Resolution 15, the central government assigned a delegation of more than 30 Phu Yen cadres to return to their hometown, including a doctor, head nurse Ly Kim Chau (Xuan). This doctor organized the first medical station of Phu Yen province in Ma Du (Phuoc Tan commune, Son Hoa district). Later, Military Region 5 mobilized doctor Nguyen Van Thi (Hai) to be the station chief. After the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was established (December 20, 1960), Phu Yen Provincial Party Committee established the Medical Board in April 1961, at Ca Ton stream (Phuoc Tan commune), led by doctor Nguyen Van Thi.
After that, the central government and Zone 5 sent Phu Yen 4 medical teams to meet the medical treatment needs of wounded soldiers and people, including many doctors from Phu Yen. Doctor Phan Cong (from Phu Yen) was assigned by the central government to the Medical Department of Zone 6 in 1970. On his way to the North for medical treatment, when he arrived in Phu Yen, he asked to stay and was decided by the Zone 5 Party Committee to become the Chief of the Truc Bach Infirmary and then the Head of the Provincial Civil Medicine Department. A generation of intellectual doctors from the North happily entered the battlefield, so the leaders of Phu Yen province named the infirmary Truc Bach to commemorate the capital in the great rear of the North.
In addition to Truc Bach infirmary, all districts had infirmaries. Phu Yen also established the Tien Phuong infirmary (central line), promptly receiving wounded soldiers from the front line and established more in the province (provincial medical line) Ho Tay infirmary, Song Ba infirmary and field infirmaries throughout the hot battlefields in the localities.
Phu Yen's medical staff from the province to the grassroots level has been strengthened in both quality and quantity. Phu Yen also sent a team of doctors to the Health Department of Zone 5 for training to improve their qualifications to meet the requirements of the job. The province's medical training school was officially established in 1965, in Hoc Ke (Son Long commune, Son Hoa). On April 10, 1972, Phu Yen established the Nursing Camp, the predecessor of the current Rehabilitation Hospital, in Trung Trinh village, Son Long commune.
On April 1, 1975, the victory flag flew on top of Nhan Tower, and Phu Yen was cleared of enemy troops. Under the direction of the Provincial Military and Political Committee, the Provincial Civilian Medical Committee took over the hospital, the drug warehouse, and other medical facilities, preserved and kept intact assets, medicines, and medical equipment, and quickly deployed activities to promptly serve wounded soldiers, people, and even enemy prisoners and defectors.
White shirt through bullets and fire
In 1966, after graduating from Hanoi Medical University, young doctor Huynh Thi Kim Hue (from Thua Thien - Hue) was assigned to work in the Phu Yen battlefield. During a meeting of doctors from different generations, organized by the Department of Health on the occasion of Vietnam Doctors' Day, the female doctor from the green war zone shared: I was assigned to be in charge of treating wounded soldiers at Tuy An District Infirmary (codename Y13) until the end of 1972. This was a time when the enemy was fiercely attacking, Y13 had to constantly change locations, from An Linh to An Xuan and then down to An Nghiep... We both treated and ran around. Every 10 days, half a month, the enemy would raid once, we had to evacuate. I don't understand how we could survive in the rain and bullets like that", doctor Huynh Thi Kim Hue recalled.
As for Ms. Dam Thi Ly, at the end of October 1961, after participating in the successful rescue of Lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho, this nurse from Binh Kien, Tuy Hoa City escaped to work at Ho Tay Infirmary. Ms. Ly recalled: During that time, hunger and lack of salt were common things. There was no rice, so my brothers and sisters had to eat figs, wild fruits... instead of rice. While being treated for wounded soldiers, hearing artillery fire and enemy sweeps and having to evacuate was a daily occurrence.
During the resistance war against the US, surgeries on wounded soldiers were performed from day to night, under kerosene lamps with light-blocking devices to avoid detection by enemy aircraft. Food and medicine supplies from the North were very limited, and in some surgeries, doctors only had knives, antibiotics, and homemade IV fluids without a single drop of anesthetic!
Not only providing treatment, the doctors also actively increased production to have more food for wounded and sick soldiers and for themselves. Moreover, wartime doctors and nurses were also real soldiers, spending their youth in two resistance wars "determined to die for the Fatherland". The doctors had two roles, both caring for wounded and sick soldiers and participating in anti-sweep operations, rescuing comrades in campaigns under the rain of bombs and bullets. "In extremely difficult and arduous circumstances, we remained optimistic, completed our assigned tasks, and happily treated and cared for wounded and sick soldiers," said nurse Dam Thi Ly.
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day, looking back in history, during the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, the Phu Yen medical sector has silently contributed, becoming a solid rear for our army and people. The doctors not only treated wounded soldiers but also directly fought with guns, ready to sacrifice for the Fatherland. In the fire of war, they were nameless heroes, people who wrote a silent epic amidst bombs and bullets. Many medical staff sacrificed their lives or parts of their bodies to preserve the lives of wounded soldiers. They deserve to be honored, so that today's and future generations will always remember their unforgettable contributions. They live forever in the hearts of posterity as a time of "determined to die for the Fatherland".
| Through two resistance wars, Phu Yen had nearly 2,500 people working in the health sector, including 275 martyrs, doctors who remained on the battlefield forever; 192 wounded soldiers who sacrificed part of their bodies for the day of total victory; 8 mothers were awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother. On September 2, 2001, Phu Yen's health sector was honored to receive the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. |
PHAM THUY
Source: https://baophuyen.vn/94/326408/thay-thuoc-chien-khu-xanh.html
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