Shining patriotism and compatriotism amidst pandemic

The difficulties have made Vietnamese people’s patriotism and compatriotism shine more brightly, creating a "soft power" for the whole nation to firmly overcome its difficulties.

The whole country looks towards Bac Giang

With the spirit of "the whole country for Bac Giang", during the serious COVID-19 outbreak in the northern province, over 2,000 medical staff from many provinces and cities around the country volunteered to come to the epidemic hotspot and worked with local medical forces to create a pioneering steel shield on the front line against the pandemic in the northern province.

The delegation of doctors, nurses and technicians of Quang Ninh province supporting Bac Giang (Photo: Quang Tho)

Over 200 doctors and medical workers from Quang Ninh province were present early to share the burden with their colleagues in in Bac Giang. Within less than 24 hours of receiving the notice, 18 officials, medical staff and technicians with high qualifications and experience from four leading hospitals in the northern portal city of Hai Phong headed to Bac Giang province to assist the newly established Emergency Resuscitation Centre.

The delegation of medical staff from Lao Cai province at the send-off ceremony to Bac Giang. (Photo: Quoc Hong)

The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai also sent 32 specialist doctors, nurses, and medical workers to support Bac Giang. At the send-off ceremony, all were touched by the sight of a six-year-old girl hugging her father who was also Doctor Hoang Tung, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases under the Lao Cai provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.

While joining the working delegation of Hanoi City Department of Health in Bac Giang, Nguyen Hai Long from the Department of Testing, Diagnostic Imaging and Functional Exploration under the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control (CDC Hanoi) ran back and forth to take samples from Bac Giang for testing.

Hanoi's health workers supporting Bac Giang province. (Photo: Dang Anh)

Being present from the early days of the outbreak in Bac Giang, a delegation of two officers and over 160 students from the Hai Duong Medical Technical University persevered in taking samples for testing and tracing patients for nearly a month despite the hot weather and great pressure.

During their four weeks of working in Bac Giang, doctors and medical workers from provinces and cities have coordinated with local colleagues to train in the management, supervision, safety assurance and infection prevention and control at the quarantine area for the district’s officials; improved the medical professionalism of the rapid response teams; support the Lang Giang District Hospital as it received and treated COVID patients; and promoted the skills of taking, managing and checking examples.

Recognising the support of provinces and cities for Bac Giang in COVID-19 prevention and control, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan The Tuan emphasised that thanks to the valuable assistance, Bac Giang could respond and control the epidemic during its most difficult period. The medical workers have shone with their strong spirit of resistance against the pandemic.

Honourable hearts

The raging epidemic has made many production and business activities halt and the life of many people difficult. With the spirit of solidarity, people have joined hands to support vulnerable people to overcome their difficulties. Many organisations and individuals have donated cash and hundreds of tonnes of goods, medical equipment and necessities to give strength to frontline forces and disadvantaged people.

The family of Le Van De and Nguyen Thi Dao gives donations to epidemic prevention and control in Hai Duong province. (Photo: Quoc Vinh)

The family of Le Van De and Nguyen Thi Dao from Trang Liet village, Thanh Son commune, Thanh Ha district, Hai Duong, is one example. They encouraged their children and grandchildren to donate VND4.5 billion to the district’s COVID-19 vaccine fund.

The story of Vu Thi Khieu (93) in Nam Trung commune, Nam Sach district, Hai Duong, who donated all her savings (VND90 million) supporting the district to buy medical equipement was also moving.

Many young people also carried out noble deeds for the benefit of the community. For example, student Nguyen Phuong Thao Anh from the National Economics University used the money that her parents prepared for her to buy a new motorbike and some items to donate to poor people in her hometown in Khanh Ha commune, Thuong Tin district, Hanoi. In mid-June, she went to Khanh Ha communal People’s Committee to donate 1,500 boxes of instant noodles and 75,000 medical masks worth total up to VND180 million.

Hai Duong's young people provide free meals to frontline forces. (Photo: Quoc Vinh)

During May, K Hospital in Hanoi was blockaded due to the appearance of several COVID-19 infections at its Tan Trieu campus. Accordingly, many patients and their relatives were stuck in boarding houses in Kien Hung ward, Ha Dong district. Most of them were poor labourers, so their lives were made even more difficult.

Understanding this, Doi Mai Chuyen, owner of the "Family" small restaurant nearby the hospital decided to give free meals to patients and their relatives who were staying in the boarding houses. They were provided with around 400 free sets of meals per day. In addition, many owners of the boarding houses proactively waived and reduced rents for tenants or allowed them to “stay first and pay later”.

Essential goods donated to K Hospital's Tan Trieu campus in Hanoi during the medical blockade. (Photo: Dang Anh)

During the outbreak of pandemic, Bac Giang "retained" more than 63,000 workers from over 30 provinces and cities from across the country in blockades and quarantine areas, to prevent the spread of pathogens to other localities. Besides the closure of four industrial parks, the province also implemented medical isolation for three districts consisting of over 100,000 workers renting houses under Prime Minister’s Direcitve No.16.

Determined that "no one will be left behind", Bac Giang province urgently formed a working group to support workers. “Zero-dong supermarkets” were set up at localities gathering many workers. The working group to support workers promptly mobilised over 5,000 volunteers to transport and distribute relief goods to over 67,000 workers in quarantine areas.

Doctors from the Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University's Hospital confidently enter the Bac Giang epidemic hotspot. (Photo: Vo Manh Hao)

By June 18, Bac Giang had mobilised over VND214 billion for the epidemic prevention and control. Enterprises, organisations and donors inside and outside the province had donated 1,700 tonnes of rice, 500 tonnes of vegetables and tubers, over 500,000 eggs, nearly 1 million packages of instant noodles and nearly 100 tonnes of pork. Nearly 1,5000 officials had coordinated with over 11,000 teachers to support army forces in preparing and providing meals for centralised quarantine areas and primary treatment facility for patients with COVID-19.

Youth unions at all levels in the province established 574 youth volunteer teams to perform logistical tasks for frontline forces. At the epidemic hotspot, the spirit of sharing, caring and helping one another in times of trouble has shone even brighter than ever.

Doctors from Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) treating COVID-19 patients in Bac Giang Province. (Photo: Manh Hao)

Group of Nhan Dan Newspaper's representative reporters

Translated by NDO