Villagers unite to save brain haemorrhage patient

A local man in Tre Village, Quang Ngai Province, has been saved by the villagers who carried him 13km on mountainous roads to the hospital.

Villagers help bring ill man to hospital

Tre Village is a resettlement area for a hydropower project with a population of 1,000 people. There is only a dirt road connecting the village with the centre of Tra Tay Commune. During the rainy season, the terrain becomes rougher and the travellers are threatened by landslides.

Because of the bumpy road, the villagers couldn't use a motorbike but instead carried the patient to the hospital on foot.

On April 21, 60-year-old Ho Van Phong suffered from a brain haemorrhage at home. Hundreds of residents in the village helped carry him on the 13km mountain road. After one hour, they reached the ambulance waiting on the main road. The patient was brought to the hospital in time and saved.

The patient carried on foot

Over the past 10 years, the villagers have carried hundreds of people on the mountain road.

Ho Van Phong at the hospital

Dang Minh Thao, party secretary of Tra Bong District, said they wanted to build a proper road to the village but the cost was too expensive for a poor district like Tra Bong. The estimated cost is VND70bn (USD3m) and they need to ask for investments from Quang Ngai Province People's Committee.

"I have just checked the road to have a plan for a temporary fix. We really hope we will get a better road soon," he said.