Everything passes, but human kindness remains...

The connection between doctor and patient

For the first time in my life, going to the hospital as a patient, I felt a little anxious because everything was unfamiliar. But then everything went well. After being examined by Dr. Nguyen Duy Khanh, then Deputy Director of the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital, and receiving thorough advice from other specialists, I took my admission papers for sciatica and went to the Geriatrics Department.

Stepping into the ward, I was greeted by a nurse in uniform who gave me my admission papers and immediately asked for my ID card to complete the necessary procedures. About 15 minutes later, I was assigned a bed in room B402, at the end of the right-hand corridor. It was in this very quiet place that I met an old acquaintance, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Nh., formerly a leader of an agency under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the former Da Nang city. We had met before, exchanged professional opinions, and now we were discussing our illnesses, as we both suffered from the same disease.

We were treated directly by Dr. Tran Anh Son, with the nurses assisting by applying electrotherapy. The electrical currents coursed through our bodies, and those unfamiliar with it might find it… unsettling. The nurses gently explained, “We’ll start at a low speed and gradually increase it. If you feel any discomfort, please let us know.” It’s strange, though; the electrotherapy was initially frightening, but after a while, we became… addicted. Because for sciatica, once the electrical current flows around the painful area, it’s like a long-dry well suddenly being filled with cool, refreshing water!

Every other day, Dr. Trinh would come to visit and ask about my condition. He was very attentive and considerate. He even guided me through some light exercises suitable for my condition.

Dedicated care - optimistic recovery

It's surprising to learn that the Geriatrics Department was only established in early April 2020, nearly 19 months before the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital officially opened at 77 Dinh Gia Trinh Street. Having just turned six, the department has made steady progress in serving patients with its expertise.

Over the past six years, the number of doctors, nurses, technicians, and the number of hospital beds have increased significantly. Most notably, bed occupancy has risen from 62.2% to 168%; the number of patients admitted to the department monthly has increased from 26 to 282! These figures speak volumes about the dedication and hard work that the medical staff of the department have put into achieving these goals.

Speaking about the department's activities, Dr. Dinh Trong Trinh emphasized training, as this is one of the leading areas for the department's professional development. Currently, the department has one specialist doctor (Level II) and one doctor specializing in rehabilitation. In addition to sending doctors for continuous training at Da Nang Hospital, the department has trained and updated nurses on equipment operation, first aid, and trained geriatric teams.

“The number of elderly patients admitted to the hospital is increasing due to population aging, leading to the risk of overcrowding of hospital beds and wards. Patients treated in the department have a high rate of chronic diseases and multi-pathological geriatric conditions, requiring us to continuously update treatment protocols and techniques; and needing personnel to provide comprehensive care. Implementing the department's slogan, "dedicated care - optimistic convalescence," all of this requires the team to both ensure good daily clinical examination and treatment, and allocate time for scientific research, technology application, and participation in continuous training,” shared Dr. Trinh.

Beautiful images of people wearing white blouses.

To get a more realistic picture of the place where I had been treated for 21 days, one morning I returned to the Geriatrics Department. Walking along the corridors on the left and right, I still couldn't find the Electrotherapy Room, which was right next to the reception desk when I received treatment. This was one of the places that "impressed" me most in the Geriatrics Department at that time. The room was only about 10 square meters, yet there were so many patients waiting for treatment that they sat both inside the room and outside the door.

That day I was wearing a face mask and a beret pulled down over my forehead. Yet, Dr. Tran Anh Son, who had treated me nearly two years prior, recognized me in... a split second! When I asked him about it, he said the Electrotherapy Room had moved to a new, more spacious location at the end of the left corridor, room P416. Looking down from the corridor at the nearly 40-square-meter room, I was secretly happy for the patients receiving treatment under the care of the technicians. Unlike us back then, where patients had to crowd together and wait.

Surprisingly, I met Ms. Nguyen Thi KL again, a subject of my articles exactly 10 years ago. She came to the Geriatrics Department for treatment of sciatica. She confided: “After more than 20 days in the hospital, what deeply impressed me was not only the positive improvement in my health but also the profound appreciation I have for the team of doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff of the Geriatrics Department... Every step of the treatment was carried out carefully, the patient's health was monitored regularly, and even small changes were noticed and adjusted accordingly.”

In KL's view, equipment and technology define the capabilities of a medical facility, but it is the people and medical ethics that create lasting trust in the hearts of patients. When expertise is combined with kindness, the healing process is no longer just about affecting the body, but becomes a journey of healing both physically and mentally...

Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Nh. spends his mornings and evenings tending to the ornamental plants in his garden, mainly orchids. Over the phone, he "boasted" that his health is stable and he continues to maintain the exercises he was instructed to do since his treatment at the Geriatrics Department.

Ms. Nguyen Thi KL's grandfather was a Confucian scholar, and her father was a teacher. From a young age, her grandfather taught her, "Live virtuously, and you will have plenty to eat. People with good hearts will create a good society." Receiving treatment at the Geriatrics Department, she not only gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of medical ethics, but what remained with her was gratitude, faith, and a beautiful image of those in white coats silently serving the health of the people. She always believes that: "In life, everything may pass away, only human kindness remains..."