Around 8:30 on December 9, Bui Van Truong, a staff member of the Da Tay Island port authority, felt pain in his right rib and vomited intermittently. He was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis due to stones and was given antibiotics by the military medical personnel on Da Tay Island. However, his pain did not go away.

leftcenterrightdel
Helicopter EC 225 successfully flew a patient from Truong Sa Island to the mainland for treatment

At 20:00 the same day, patient Truong was taken to the Truong Sa Island Infirmary in a state of serious pain with symptoms of bacterial contamination, jaundice, and biliary obstruction. The ultrasound imaging showed that the patient suffered both gallbladder stones and common bile duct stones. After a video consultation with doctors from Military Hospital 175, the Truong Sa Island Infirmary was proposed to fly the patient to the mainland for an operation.

An air emergency team from Military Hospital 175 on helicopter EC 225, piloted by Wing Commander Pham Ngoc Hoai, Deputy Director in charge of Training under the Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company, departed from Tan Son Nhat Airport at 19:30 to Truong Sa Island. After landing, the team promptly checked the patient’s health condition.

Despite heavy rain and darkness, the flight-crew safely landed at Tan Son Nhat airport at 2:40 on December 11. The patient was immediately hospitalized at Military Hospital 175 where he was operated on at 8:00 the same day.

Translated by Mai Huong