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The anti-epidemic front line has witnessed the dedication from medical students from the Hai Duong Medical Technical University (HMTU). As the epidemic broke out in Chi Linh City on January 28, a day later, the province's No. 2 field hospital was established at the school's hospital. Nearly 600 HMTU students immediately filled out their names to participate in the front line in fighting the epidemic.
Secretary of the HMTU Youth Union Pham Thanh Ha informed that 471 students volunteered not to return home for the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, but instead stayed to participate in the fight against the resurgence of COVID-19 in Vietnam, in which Hai Duong was the epicentre of the third wave of COVID-19 infections in Vietnam.
Of the students, 60 volunteered to go to dangerous areas, participated in infection control, and had daily direct contact with COVID-19 infections (F0s) at the field hospital No. 2. Over 200 students have been taking part in collecting sampling for SARS-CoV-2 testing day and night under the direction of the Provincial Centre for Disease Control right from the first days of the new outbreak, while 57 others are doing investigation and tracing of F1 and F2 cases (close contacts to infections). The rest are regularly on duty to support the isolating camps and serving in the kitchen of the field hospital.
In a stressful working environment, with a high risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, with a volunteering spirit, a sense of responsibility and dedication to their profession, those future physicians have overcome all, dedicating to the health of the sick and the whole community.
Serving in the "red zone", student Tran Ngoc Anh (from Kim Dong District, Hung Yen Province) recalled: "The first day, when we heard that the infection control department needed support, we also briefly thought about the possibility of being infected during the mission, but with youthful enthusiasm and as our hearts call, we decided to stay to join the fight, seeing it as an opportunity to challenge ourselves."
Having a three-year-old child, nurse Pham Thi Hue, a Youth Union member of Hai Duong General Hospital, also volunteered to join 90 other members and medical staff to go to the field hospital No. 3 to take care of and treat COVID-19 patients. She confided: "Sometimes I miss my child so much because my husband is a police officer and he also regularly participates in missions in the fight against COVID-19. But I know, if everyone is not fierce and unanimous, this war will probably continue for a very long time. We always encourage each other to wholeheartedly dedicate to the anti-epidemic front line and believe that the reunion day will not be far away.”
Hai Duong Youth Union has nearly 200 members and volunteers serving in quarantine posts and isolated camps, as well as joining in the tracing work with the Provincial Centre for Disease Control. In particular, dozens of young people have voluntarily taken on the mission through Tet in two isolated camps in Hai Duong City – the capital of the province with the same name – until now. The Youth Union also deployed a youth team volunteering to help Tu Ky District farmers harvest agricultural products and transport them to the field kitchens, areas under medical blockade and workers' inns in the city.
"Youth kitchen" is an effective model supporting the epidemic control forces in Hai Duong City. Secretary of the municipal Youth Union Nguyen Thi Le Chi cheerfully said: "Our youth kitchen was established on February 22 with three cooking groups serving forces at the commune-level epidemic control posts. The entire budget is supported by Youth Union members and several volunteer groups by calling for support from many individuals. Every day, the young volunteers cook and supply nearly 400 hot meals for lunches and dinners on demand to 31 epidemic control points in the city.”
In Cam Giang District, from the beginning of February until now, the district Youth Union has mobilised 320 members to directly participate in the epidemic control work. In addition, they also have many flexible activities to support the work, such as the Youth Union in the communes of Cam Hung and Dinh Son supporting the transportation of free-of-charge fruit and vegetables to local people in quarantined villages, and Ngoc Lien Commune Youth Union helping harvest and distribute vegetables and providing money to buy fertilisers for local farmers, while their peers in Cam Giang Town are collecting vegetables and fruits and supporting the sampling and testing work, and the youth of Cam Vu, Duc Chinh and Cam Hoang communes are participating in communication campaigns against the pandemic, handling violations and disinfection spraying.
Secretary of the Youth Union of Cam Giang District’s Dinh Son Commune Nguyen Van Thuong said: “As people in the blockade areas lack vegetables, many vegetable growers have offered to support, and our Youth Union members have harvested and transferred them to those in need. Every day, Dinh Son Commune youths collect about four tonnes of vegetables and fruits.”
Hai Duong removed the social distancing order across the whole province on March 3 after more than a month of fighting against the epidemic. The northern locality has moved into a new normal state, both drastically stamping out the epidemic and taking the lost time to realise the dual goals of doing well in epidemic prevention and control while boosting socio-economic development tasks. Hai Duong youngsters are willing to overcome all difficulties and devote their best to the peaceful life of the local people, for the development of their hometown and the whole nation.
