Ms. Vu Thuc Hue, former medical staff of Nam Khe Son Hospital (Guilin, Guangxi, China), a China-Vietnam friendship figure, was interviewed by a VNA reporter in China. Photo: Cong Tuyen/VNA reporter in China

Those are the profound memories of Ms. Vu Thuc Hue, former medical staff of Nam Khe Son Hospital (Guilin, Guangxi, China), a China-Vietnam friendship figure, when talking about the days of treating Vietnamese soldiers.

Sharing with VNA reporters in Beijing about her memories of working at Nanxishan Hospital, Ms. Vu Thuc Hue said that when the hospital was established in 1968, it had nearly 600 people, including 278 doctors and nurses from Beijing, the oldest was 41 years old, the youngest was 19 years old, they devoted themselves to treating wounded Vietnamese soldiers, considering Vietnamese soldiers as their brothers and sisters.

Ms. Vu Thuc Hue expressed: "I feel that the war is too cruel. There are many wounded soldiers who, when transferred to the hospital, lost their limbs due to landmines. It took a long time to get to Nam Khe Son Hospital. In such a harsh environment, Vietnamese soldiers are still very optimistic, love life, and try to get treatment to recover soon and return to the battlefield. During the treatment at the hospital, Vietnamese soldiers often tell stories about their fighting on the battlefield, helping us understand the fierceness of war and the bravery of the Vietnamese people."

Vietnamese soldiers are industrious and hard-working. Patients who have recovered a little and can sit up, clean their personal belongings and clean their hospital rooms. Besides, although the war is fierce, it can take away the opportunity to go to school and learn culture from the people. However, Vietnamese soldiers, even though they are in the hospital for treatment, are still diligent, hardworking and especially studious. There are patients who, in 3 months of treatment at Nam Khe Son hospital, have learned all the textbooks for primary, secondary and high school by themselves. This is one of the great virtues of Vietnamese soldiers, one of the virtues that left a deep impression on Ms. Vu Thuc Hue.

At each stage, when a patient recovers, the hospital usually holds a simple farewell ceremony to send the Vietnamese soldiers back home. When saying goodbye, no one can hold back their tears, seeing the patient off at the train station, still hugging each other, lingering. Thinking back on that feeling, it still feels like it was yesterday.

According to Ms. Vu Thuc Hue, over the past 8 years, Nam Khe Son Hospital has treated 5,432 wounded Vietnamese soldiers, performed 2,576 surgeries and donated 779,220 ml of blood to wounded Vietnamese soldiers. She herself voluntarily donated more than 1,000 ml of blood. Ms. Vu Thuc Hue shared: “We use our own blood to donate to Vietnamese soldiers, when our blood flows into the veins of our Vietnamese comrades, the two bloodlines of the two nations blend together, synonymous with the friendship between the people of the two countries forever strong”.

What moved Ms. Vu Thuc Hue the most was that the work of her and her colleagues at Nam Khe Son Hospital was recognized and appreciated by wounded soldiers and leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State.

Doctors at Nanxishan Hospital (Guilin, Guangxi, China) treat wounded Vietnamese soldiers. Photo: VNA

Ms. Vu Thuc Hue said that in May 2024, when she was invited to Vietnam to attend the 70th Anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, while attending a welcoming party, she suddenly heard a Vietnamese military officer come in and say "I want to find and meet the nurse who donated blood to save me". Hearing that, she immediately put down her chopsticks, tears naturally flowed, she emotionally shared "I did not expect that nearly 60 years had passed, but that soldier still remembered her, remembered her noble act of donating blood and treating them".

In addition, on each occasion when leaders of the Vietnamese Party and Government, such as General Secretary To Lam (August 2024), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (June 2024), etc., visit China and organize meetings with China-Vietnam friendship figures, she is honored to participate and represent them to speak about the friendship between the people of the two countries.

Sharing her feelings about the achievements that Vietnam has made after 50 years of national reunification, Ms. Vu Thuc Hue said that over the past 50 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnam has achieved many great achievements in socio-economic development; people have become richer, living conditions both materially and spiritually have been constantly improved and life has become happier. Areas such as transportation, culture, construction, etc. have all undergone great changes.

Ms. Vu Thuc Hue hopes that in the future she will have many opportunities to visit Vietnam and meet the Vietnamese war invalids she has helped. She also hopes that China and Vietnam will always cooperate and develop together; she hopes that the friendship of “both comrades and brothers” between the Chinese and Vietnamese people will last forever and be passed on from generation to generation.

Cong Tuyen - Quang Hung (Vietnam News Agency)

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/xuc-dong-hoi-uc-ve-tinh-than-dung-cam-hy-sinh-cua-bo-doi-viet-nam-20250409100943176.htm