Lĩnh Nam Ward in Hoàng Mai District offers free oxygen for COVID-19 patients who are being treated at home. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — As COVID cases continue to rise, the work of volunteers is proving vital to fight the pandemic.

And Việt Nam has no shortage of people willing to sacrifice their own time for the good of others.

One such helper is Nguyễn Quốc Triệu, a student from Hà Nội University of Science and Technology.

For the past six months he has been providing assistance in Lĩnh Nam Ward in Hà Nội’s Hoàng Mai District along with 11 other young people.

With almost 30 new cases reported each day in the ward, there is a huge need for oxygen, and Triệu is just a phone call away to deliver cylinders for those in need.

“As soon as receiving a call for oxygen, we have to rush delivering to the patient’s place,” Triệu said.

When installing the oxygen cylinder for a patient, the volunteers make sure they do all they can to lift the patients' spirits.

Triệu added: “I usually tell them that “Keep trying! Things will be OK. Don’t worry!

“If the pandemic develops more complicatedly, we will still continue to volunteer. We should contribute.”

Hoàng Việt, vice chairman of Lĩnh Nam Ward People’s Committee said that as the number of new COVID-19 infections increased daily, the ward faced a shortage of medical workers.

“The participation of community-based COVID-19 prevention and control teams and youth play an important role in the local pandemic prevention and control efforts,” Việt said.

“After identifying oxygen as an important tool in disease prevention and patient support, Lĩnh Nam Ward launched the “Oxygen ATM” programme more than a week ago. Initially, the project is showing its effectiveness when providing a valuable source of oxygen in a timely manner to patients."

Every day, a team would go to refill oxygen cylinders and then bring them back to the ward's medical stations. Patients who need to use or change oxygen will contact the ward medical centre.

Hà Nội Youth Union in collaboration with the Việt Nam Young Business Association launched  "Oxygen ATM Station" programme.— Photo tuoitrethudo.com.vn

Hà Nội Youth Union in collaboration with the Việt Nam Young Business Association launched the Oxygen ATM Station this week to provide free oxygen to COVID-19 patients who take treatment at home.

Under the oxygen programme, 1,000 eight-litre oxygen cylinders, 200 forty-litre oxygen tanks, hundreds of gauges, machines and oxygen dividers are available for home-treatment COVID-19 patients.

The equipment will be provided to Đống Đa, Hai Bà Trưng, Ba Đình, Tây Hồ, Hoàng Mai, Gia Lâm and Đông Anh districts.

Nguyễn Đức Tiến, Deputy Secretary of the Hà Nội Youth Union said all members and volunteers were fully equipped with knowledge, protective suits and safety plans for disease prevention.

Phan Thị Nga, Secretary of the Youth Union of Kim Chung Commune in Đông Anh District, said the commune has 50 confirmed COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

Her volunteers work closely with medical staff to provide support and quickly deliver oxygen to patients with serious symptoms.

Hà Nội Youth Union has also deployed the "Companion Doctor" Network, supporting COVID-19 patients at home with a total of more than 4,000 doctors and volunteers.

Until now, Hà Nội has confirmed more than 50,000 COVID-19 infections with half of them treated at their homes. — VNS