On 25/12, Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, announced the successful management of a complex injury. This achievement occurred during the early days of the fifth doctor rotation to the island district. The patient is now out of critical condition, his limb preserved, and infection well-controlled. Three days post-surgery, his health stabilized, and he was transferred to Can Tho for continued treatment closer to his family.

The man had suffered a work accident at sea, his thigh severely injured after being crushed between two boats. He was transported to the Con Dao Military-Civilian Medical Center in critical condition, having lost significant blood and with extensive degloving of the thigh skin, facing the risk of losing his leg and a threat to his life.

The doctors operate on the patient. Photo: *Provided by doctors*

Emergency medical staff quickly stabilized the patient and prepared him for surgery. Emergency doctors immediately resuscitated him, stabilizing his respiration and circulation before taking him to the operating room. The surgery involved an urgent collaboration between the local medical team and four specialist doctors on rotation: doctor Nguyen Quoc Thang (Orthopedic and Traumatology Hospital), Bui Minh Tin (Binh Dan Hospital), Phan Anh Vu (City Children's Hospital), and Le Sy Tien (Lanh Binh Thang Hospital).

The team noted this was a rare injury for an island medical facility. The degloving extended from the groin to the knee, with deep damage severing the thigh adductor muscles and part of the quadriceps femoris muscles. Surgeons controlled bleeding, debrided damaged tissue, cleaned the wound, and repaired the muscle bundles. To minimize necrosis, doctors used loose skin sutures to preserve the skin flap, aiming to retain the fisherman's ability to walk and work.

This successful treatment underscores the effectiveness of deploying highly skilled medical personnel to island regions. Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health viewed the treatment outcome as proof of the effectiveness of the model for deploying highly skilled medical personnel to island regions. Sending experienced doctors from major hospitals like Orthopedic and Traumatology Hospital and Binh Dan Hospital to the frontline helps enhance local emergency management capabilities, especially in areas like Con Dao, which lack immediate higher-level support.

The specialist doctor rotation program aims to elevate island healthcare standards. The specialist doctor rotation program from major Ho Chi Minh City hospitals to the Con Dao Military-Civilian Medical Center began in 9, with each rotation lasting one month. This initiative aims to improve the quality of island healthcare, ensuring residents and tourists have access to the best medical services.

Le Phuong