Refrigerators and medical supplies are transported to quarantined areas in Si Pa Phìn Commune, Điện Biên Province.— Photo courtesy Chảo Mắn On

HÀ NỘI — Thousands of kind-hearted people and organisations across the country have donated money and medical supplies to ease the burden on frontline doctors, nurse, officers and people suffering from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic's fourth wave.

In Điện Biên Province, sponsors have sent 15 refrigerators, 1.5 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables, 110 handheld thermometers, 1000 N95 medical masks; 100 sets of medical protective suits; 40 packages of milk and instant noodle; 25,000 4-layer antibacterial masks; five fans and 10 portable speakers with rechargeable batteries to local quarantined areas.

The items were sent after Chảo Mắn On, a reporter of Nậm Pồ Centre for Culture, Radio and Television appealed for help via her Facebook page.

The call was made after she saw a severe lack of food and medical supplies in the local quarantined areas, she said.

On said the number of people in quarantined areas topped 1,000 in Si Pa Phìn Commune after the locality recorded an additional seven cases.

“The increase of the quarantined people caused the severe lack of food and medical supplies,” she added.

On said she felt very touched after receiving the donations from kind-hearted people throughout the country.

Meanwhile, women of Nà Sự 2 Village, Chà Nưa Commune also made bánh chưng (square glutinous rice cake) to send to people in the quarantined areas in Si Pa Phìn Commune , she said.

Ngô Quốc Anh, head of a volunteer group in Điện Biên Province said when he went to local villages to call for support, he realised that although they were poor, people were ready to give all they had to help.

“Some people donated chickens, some eggs, others even gave firewood to the quarantined areas,” he said.

“The spirit makes my heart feel very warm.”

In Bắc Giang Province, the locality hit hardest by the fourth wave of COVID-19, 1,670 protective suits; 12,500 medical masks; over 600 milk cakes and other necessities were sent to quarantined areas in just two days after Đặng Diệu Linh, an administrator of a Facebook’s fan page with over 56,000 members, called for support.

Linh said she asked for beds and fans for hospitals and healthcare centres where COVID-19 patients were being treated in Bắc Giang Province .

Cao Thị Hoàn, an administrator of a Facebook fan page with over 10,000 members said after two days of calling for support, she and her friends collected 500 medical protective suits, 1,200 medical masks for frontline doctors and nurses at Bạch Mai Hospital and the National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital).

The group also transferred 500 medical protective suits, 5,000 medical masks, 500 cloth masks and thousands of anti-droplet hats to Bắc Giang Province's Traditional Medicine Hospital.

Hoàn said the support for the hospitals would continue.

Many artists have also used their celebrity status to help. Singer Tùng Dương and his friends raised VNĐ400 million ($17,300) to buy medical supplies for Bắc Giang Province.

Actor Đại Nghĩa collected VNĐ1.2 billion ($52,000) from sponsors to buy medical supplies for hospitals in Bắc Ninh, Vĩnh Phúc, An Giang and Hà Nội.

Singer Hà Anh Tuấn has raised VNĐ500 million (US$21,600) from his recent concert’s ticket revenue to support the COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Actor Xuân Bắc, who joined with volunteer groups to bring necessities and medical supplies said: “The small items show our attention to frontline people, we hope them always stay safe and keep up the good work.” — VNS