Through the sleepless nights

In the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the "white shirt soldiers" with enthusiastic hearts for the noble mission of medical staff have saved tens of thousands of Covid-19 patients helping them return and reunite with their family. The joy and happiness of the patients is a source of encouragement for the doctors and nurses who have spent many long nights monitoring the patient's survival index to fight for people's lives in front of the life-and-death line.

The pursuit of vitality 

Binh Duong provincial General Hospital is one of the two last-line units to treat Covid-19 patients. During stressful epidemic days, the medical team and doctors here always provide treatment and monitor the patient's survival indicators. Only in the first week of its establishment, the facility to collect and treat Covid-19 patients at Phu Chanh in Tan Uyen town (under provincial General Hospital) have received hundreds of patients including those in  very serious and critical status. At the patient's bedside is a aspirator with a set of lights flashing and beeping continuously. Doctors have to "fight" for the life of the patient following the machines attached to the body to monitor the survival index.

Doctors and staff are caring for patients at treatment area in Phu Chanh ward of Tan Uyen town

In the emergency situation, the medical team and doctors have to work through the night with more than 200% of their strength and more than ever, the burden is not only the patient's life but also the goal of minimizing the mortality rate. Therefore, they are busy with their work. The doctors and nurses have to eat and sleep in haste as they have to rush to the emergency room without having time to regain their strength. There is nothing more painful when the patient faces "death" and all efforts to hold them back are futile. At that time, the hearts of the doctors and nurses are like being squeezed. The medical team at the Covid-19 patient treatment area of Phu Chanh ward in Tan Uyen town (under Binh Duong provincial General Hospital) enthusiastically take care of the sick patients. The increasing number of patients discharged from the hospital is the great joy and happiness of the doctors as the symbol of the white-robed soldier for the noble mission of sacrificing to save people.

Temporarily put aside daily life, for more than 2 months now, doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong at Gerontology Department of the provincial General Hospital has been working at the collection facility for treating Covid-19 patients at Phu Chanh ward in Tan Uyen town has not gone home. During the first time receiving the assignment at the treatment area, Dr. Huong and her colleagues had to stay up all night to monitor the patients. Cases with symptoms and signs of risk are higher than previous times, requiring doctors to closely monitor and offer a reasonable treatment regimen so that the patients would not get worse. In addition to treatment, the doctors and nurses also take care of the patient's personal hygiene from changing diapers and feeding each spoonful of porridge to guiding patients to breathing exercises and taking care of the patient's sleep like family members.

For Dr. Huong, the greatest joy in the treatment area is seeing more patients move down to the lower treatment triage every day. Each case of serious illness entering the ward is another heavy heart because this place seems to be the last threshold to save the patient's life. That is the case of a very young and obese patient admitted to the hospital with respiratory failure and very severe ARDS pneumonia with rapidly changing and carrying many factors that incur treatment failure. However, after more than 2 months of active treatment by the medical team and doctors, the patient has weaned from the HFNC inspirator and his health has gradually recovered.

The silent sacrifice

Taking care of a seriously ill patient is all the more poignant to the patient's pain; and with Covid-19 patients, it's even more poignant because without a loved one by his side, all activities have to rely on the doctors and nurses. With the spirit of wholeheartedly caring for patients, Dr. Huynh Huu Duc, Head of Internal Medicine of Di An city Medical Center is in charge of the Covid-19 patient treatment area at the dormitory of the National University of Ho Chi Minh city in Di An city has been positive twice; his lung is damage but he still volunteered to participate in treatment on the 2nd floor of the triage. His wife, a nursing bachelor Nguyen Thi Loan, is also with the same enthusiasm, participating in anti-epidemic activities and then she was also infected with the SARS-Cov-2. The image of the doctor's family is like a symbol of the white-robed soldier for the noble mission to save people from death. 

Talking to us, Dr. Nguyen Hong Chuong, Director of Department of Health, said that in the past time, the province has focused on treating severe patients with underlying diseases by early putting the high-current oxygen system into use to prevent patients from falling into severe complications and shorten the duration of treatment. In particular, the health sector has coordinated and appropriately allocated medical resources to minimize mortality and overcome the delay in Covid-19 infected people transport when severe changes occurred. Therefore, in recent days, the province has continuously recorded thousands of cases of patients being discharged from the hospital every day. Behind the happiness and good health of the patients are the valuable experiences of the province's treatment system drawn from the management and follow-up of the patient's health, especially the cases becoming severe. This is also the silent but very precious dedication of the team of medical staff, doctors, and the front lines of the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic - who are willing to sacrifice themselves to save lives - as well as the unanimity of the whole political system and of each citizen united to win the pandemic.

The greatest joy is the discharge of patients from the hospital

To help patients recover well, Doctor Do Thanh Liem, Deputy Director of Phu Giao district Medical Center and Head of Covid-19 patient treatment area in Block 2 of Becamex in Ben Cat town along with his team have built a comprehensive care process for patients including eating, personal hygiene and rehabilitation. It is known that some of the doctors and nurses working here have experienced living and working in an isolated environment since the previous epidemic, but most of the rest are in their first experiences. Therefore, they always encourage one another to make more efforts to overcome all difficulties. 

“During the treatment process, many patients are so worried but many people are also filled with happiness of counting the days for the moment to be discharged from the hospital. There are patients who, on the first day of going to the emergency room, take oxygen with an unstable spirit, worry, and panic, but they gradually feel secure in treatment thanks to the attention of leaders, good equipment and staff who are always ready to serve,” added Dr. Do Thanh Liem.

Mr. NVL, 60 years old, being treated at Block 2 treatment area of Becamex was able to go home in a healthy state, saying with emotion: “The journey to overcome illness imbued with love is the most memorable memory in my life. The day the doctor transferred me to the Phu Chanh treatment area, I was scared and worried that I would not be able to overcome the severe coughs, and the chest tightness. The doctors did not leave us alone when they were always there to encourage everyone to practice breathing and cooperate well in treatment. Today, when I received the notice of discharge from the hospital, I was overjoyed.”

Reported by Kim Ha - Translated by Vi Bao