Doctor Sùng A Vang at work. Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn

YÊN BÁI — The cries of newborns and the smiles of mothers always warms the heart of Mông ethnic doctor Sùng A Vang, who has worked tirelessly for the health of people in the remote Yên Bái Province.

Due to his dedication to the health sector, Vang, one of 67 outstanding doctors and health workers across the country, was honoured on the 68th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27).

Vang was born and raised in Bản Mù District, Trạm Tấu District, which is home to many ethnic minority groups, mainly Mông.

He understands the traditional customs of the groups, including a custom of the Mông that requires pregnant women to give birth at home. People used a bamboo knife heated over a fire to cut the umbilical cord of a newborn baby.

Mông people believe that a woman who gives birth at home will bring luck to the mother and baby when their ancestors witnessed the birth. However, the villagers have repeatedly witnessed the pain of mothers who have lost children and husbands who have lost their wives.

Seeing the extreme pain of his villagers, Vang was determined to become an obstetrician and save lives in poor villages.

In 2003, the young Mông man left the village with his dream to study at Thái Nguyên Medical University, Thái Nguyên province. During his six years of university studies, he never forgot his mission to his hometown.

After graduating in 2009, Vang returned to his hometown and worked at Trạm Tấu District's medical centre, ignoring opportunities to work in the city and the delta region. During 14 years of working at the centre, he brought all his knowledge, heart, and enthusiasm to obstetrics to serve the local people.

Trạm Tấu District is one of the 62 poor districts of the country, and the Mông ethnic group accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the population. Residents still live in poor conditions, and going to medical facilities for health check-ups is very limited, especially for children and pregnant women.

Vang told Sức khoẻ & Đời sống (Health & Life) online newspaper that he couldn't remember how many houses he had visited or how many people he had met to raise people's awareness about reproductive health.

With the advantage of being fluent in the local languages and customs, he can obtain specific information about patients and their symptoms, helping him ensure the treatment is correct. 

For the Trạm Tấu people, Doctor Vang is considered one of the best midwives in this mountainous district.

He said: "With 14 years of working in reproductive healthcare, I have probably delivered thousands of births and performed caesarean sections for hundreds of pregnant women. I am so happy to hear the babies' birth cry and see the happy tears of mothers."

He has also witnessed many pregnant women being taken to the emergency room in a state of bleeding or difficulty giving birth.

In his battle with death, sometimes the doctor loses, and the smiles are replaced by tears.

However, these negative experiences cannot overshadow his love for his profession. It reminds him to gain more experience, learn more knowledge, and help residents understand that giving birth at the medical centre is safe for them and their babies, preventing possible tragic cases.

With his knowledge and experience, Vang regularly supports other health stations and participates in voluntary medical examinations in villages.

He was also honoured in the province's patriotic emulation movement in 2022 and received many certificates of merit for his efforts in the medical profession.

Vang believes that there is no greater joy than that of his patients being healthy, and there is no greater happiness than seeing healthy babies and the happy tears of the mothers. VNS