A member of Nhất Tâm Charity Group helps an elderly man infected with the COVID-19. — Photo nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — Watching from afar, volunteers in HCM City decided to step up to the plate and help out those in Hà Nội struggling with COVID-19.

As cases in the capital began to sharply rise over Christmas, members of HCM City-based Nhất Tâm Charity Group headed to the capital to provide a helping hand.

Since the beginning of January, eight volunteers have been transporting COVID-19 patients and delivering oxygen to people being treated at home offering support in Hà Đông and Thanh Xuân districts.

Group leader Trần Thanh Long said that four ambulances were transported to Hà Nội with them. They have prepared 100 oxygen cylinders, protective suits, face masks and other necessary protective equipment.

Long said that the group cooperated with local medical centres to transport COVID-19 confirmed cases (F0) to treatment facilities.

Every day, the group carry about 50 F0 patients in Đống Đa District and around 30 other cases in Thanh Xuân District.

“The COVID-19 pandemic in Hà Nội is not as fierce as HCM City as Hà Nội has relatively good vaccine coverage,” Long said.

“However, health conditions of the elderly can also deteriorate quickly when infected. On average, we transport seven or eight cases that are elderly people with underlying medical conditions.”

The biggest concern of the volunteers when working in Hà Nội was not the cold weather, Long said, but getting acquainted with Hà Nội’s roads and spreading the group's hotline number so that people could call them for help if needed.

“The biggest obstacle at the moment is that we have difficulty in travelling because we do not know the roads well and the traffic in Hà Nội is quite crowded,” Long said.

“The issue of time is a decisive factor to the patient's health and life. Faster is better. We also hope that when people see an ambulance running on the road, they will give way to the vehicle so that patients could reach hospitals more conveniently.

“Also, as many people do not know the hotline number, we cannot support many home treatment cases. Please help spread the hotline number 0795686970 and 0988682235 and call immediately if you need emergency transportation, oxygen support, and health safety.

“We have transported countless ambulance trips to bring F0 to the hospital in HCM City. We have witnessed too many great losses, too much pain. When HCM City was struggling with the COVID-19 outbreaks, volunteers and medical workers from the north made great efforts to support  Sài Gòn in all aspects.”

Volunteer Nguyễn Xuân Thăng decided to spend this Lunar New Year celebration in Hà Nội to support the medical forces, and participate in the fight against the pandemic.

“Nhất Tâm volunteers have never had a Tết holiday. We serve people all 365 days, spend all our time serving the community,” Thăng said.

“Wherever people need help, Nhất Tâm will be there.

“The group will also try to support Hà Nội so that people can enjoy Tết.

"We all hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will be controlled soon so that we could soon return home."

Last year, for nearly four months, HCM City experienced an unprecedented disease outbreak.

Nhất Tâm Charity group deployed 15 ambulances. On average, each ambulance a day transported about 200-300 F0 and people with serious illnesses to the emergency rooms. In addition, the group created a community canteen distributing about 300 tonnes of rice and vegetables and fruits.

The group is now offering support in HCM City, Hà Nội and the southern province of Vĩnh Long. — VNS