Như takes part in a charity activity to help a poor family in northern mountainous Sơn La Province to build house. Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Thị Giang Như, 38, a fruit seller at a local market near the National Cancer Hospital – Tân Triều (commonly called K Hospital) in Hà Nội, was waiting for good news from Sùng Phứ, a Mông ethnic minority man who was taking care of his son with blood cancer at the hospital.

Như said the 25-year-old father took his son from Mường Khường District in the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai to K-Tân Triều Hospital for one month. They are among the poor and ethnic minority patients Như has volunteered to assist for 10 years.

She directly assists in picking up patients from the bus station, then taking them to the hospital and assisting them with the examination and testing procedures at the hospital.

If the patient has to be hospitalised for long-term treatment, Như also supports with the necessary items, said a mother of girl being treated at K-Tân Triều Hospital.

Như said that she lived in a mountainous and ethnic minority area during her childhood so she can speak an ethnic language.

"My family was very poor at that time. Many children in the area where I lived died of illness because their parents had no money to take them to the hospital for treatment."

“I have a career in Hà Nội and live here now.”

Như said that she witnessed and understood the difficulties of patients and their families who arrive in the capital for medical treatment.

"They don't know the roads, Kinh language, even don’t know how to read, so if they are unlucky they can meet bad guys who cheat them out of all their money.”

“Understanding and empathising with their suffering, I try to help to the best of my ability," she said.

At first, she mainly supported pediatric patients and their families. Later, she also helped elderly patients from remote areas to reach Hà Nội for treatment.

She was very happy that her charity work was known by many individuals and social groups in the highland provinces.

Many times, the social groups have contacted Như to support and care for poor patients in the highlands who come to the city’s hospitals.

“Most of the patients come to Hà Nội for treatment and usually, their condition is very serious,” she said.

Many poor patients had to sell cattle, pigs and chickens at home to pay for medical treatment fees in the city.

“When entering the hospital, many ethnic people don't even know how to take care of the sick. Many relatives of patients don't speak Kinh language, so it's difficult for doctors to guide them,” Như said.

“I try to arrange my work then go into the patient's room and instruct them to follow the doctors' instructions.”

She also spent free time in the afternoon to cook rice for poor patients without family members to take care of them.

And fortunately, Như's father was very supportive of his daughter's charity work. He volunteered to bring boxes of rice to the hospital for patients when Như was busy.

The first time she went to the hospital to take care of the sick, she was also very scared.

“I am most afraid when I go to the burn hospital and cancer hospital. The images there haunt me, not my fear of infection.

“But I love them like I love my family members, so I'm not afraid anymore. Gradually, I get used to this job.”

She has also enthusiastically participated in volunteer activities organised by local organisations, such as building houses for the poor, giving gifts to orphans, cooking for poor patients.

“I have a dream to spend money to go to highland villages to do charity. When I help people, I felt very happy,” Như said. — VNS