The doctor has spent 20 years taking care of the Mong people's health.

Doctor Ngan Van Long, Head of Muong Ly Commune Health Station, examines children in Un village. Photo: Tang Thuy

About Muong Ly - a border commune of the province. In this deep forest and high mountains, when asked about the health care situation of the people, everyone mentioned the doctor Ngan Van Long, a Muong ethnic, with respect and praise. He is a son of his homeland, always devoted to the noble goal of protecting and taking care of the people's health.

Taking on the task of examining, treating and managing the Muong Ly Commune Health Station since 2008, Mr. Long both worked and learned the Mong language. At that time, having a Muong ethnic medical staff who could listen and speak Thai and Mong was extremely valuable. Because the doctor not only examined and treated the people, but also did mass mobilization work, grasped the ethnic situation in the area, understood the customs and practices, and could talk to the people, which would be very convenient for the work process.

Muong Ly commune currently has 1,049 households, with 5,617 people, living in 15 villages. Of which, 9 are Mong, the remaining 6 are Thai, Muong and a few other ethnic groups. As of June 2025, the local poverty rate was 65.7%; near-poor households were 40.9%. Poverty and backwardness have made health care and disease prevention not yet taken seriously by the people. For generations, people here have maintained the habit of asking shamans to exorcise the sick. Every day, he and the medical staff of the station do not hesitate to go from house to house to propagate and mobilize people to change their awareness from the simplest things such as drinking boiled water, washing hands before eating, sleeping under mosquito nets to vaccinating children, family planning... It is the efforts and specific actions of the grassroots medical staff that have gradually raised people's awareness in health care.

We met Dr. Ngan Van Long while examining Ms. Hang Thi Cong and her son, a Mong ethnic in Un village. Her son, Ly A Te, over 1 year old, has had pneumonia for nearly a week now. With the advantage of being a cadre fluent in the Mong language, Mr. Long carefully exploited information about the patient, such as symptoms and manifestations of the disease, from which he proposed active treatment regimens for the patient. He meticulously used the local language to remind Ms. Cong to keep warm and clean Te's respiratory tract in a friendly, non-social manner.

Ms. Cong herself is also 6 months pregnant. Doctor Long told her to pay attention to nutritional supplements, monitor her pregnancy and when she goes into labor, she must go to the commune health station to give birth. Because of the Mong people's custom, when women give birth, their husbands and family members help them, so obstetric complications are high. Doctor Long shared: "In the past, many women gave birth at home because they were afraid of the long distance and difficult economic conditions. When they had a difficult birth, they called the medical staff, which was dangerous for both mother and child. Thanks to persistent propaganda and mobilization, people's awareness has gradually changed, and more and more pregnant women go to the health station before giving birth to receive timely care."

According to statistics, in 2024, in Muong Ly commune, about 60% of the total number of Mong women giving birth received intervention and support from midwives and commune health stations. Difficult births and prolonged labors were advised to be transferred to Muong Lat Medical Center for treatment. Regarding medical examination and treatment, the commune health station examined and treated 2,952 patients.

In addition, the commune health station also coordinates with the military medical staff of Pu Nhi Border Post, departments, branches, organizations, village health teams and population collaborators to effectively carry out disease prevention, family planning, community health, especially vaccination, maternal and child health care. Thanks to that, on average, each year, the rate of malnourished children in Muong Ly commune decreases by 1 - 2%.

Mr. Le Quoc Huan, Deputy Director of Muong Lat Medical Center, affirmed: “Along with many other doctors and medical staff in the highlands, doctor Ngan Van Long has devoted his youth, dedication, perseverance and responsibility to significantly improve the health of people in the area. Following Uncle Ho's teaching: "Doctors are like kind mothers", they are not only doctors and medical staff, but also brothers and friends of ethnic minorities, bringing confidence to grassroots health care."

Tang Thuy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nguoi-y-si-20-nam-cham-soc-suc-khoe-nbsp-cho-dong-bao-mong-257838.htm