Memories of teachers in the heart of the Covid-19 epidemic

1 year has passed since the 4th wave of epidemic started in Vietnam, life gradually returned to normal. However, the “war” at the center of the COVID-19 epidemic – TP. Ho Chi Minh City – is still an unforgettable memory for female teachers who volunteered to fight the epidemic.

Towels wrapped from North to South to fight epidemics

On the evening of July 10, 2021, Ms. Le Ngan Hanh – resident doctor, lecturer in Internal Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Thai Nguyen University) – received a phone call from her work agency about leaving for Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City fought against the epidemic on the most stressful days of the COVID-19 situation. Without a moment’s hesitation, teacher Hanh nodded quickly, but in the heart of the 9X female lecturer, there was an indescribable restlessness. This young teacher has registered twice but has not been able to participate in volunteer trips to the epidemic centers of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang.

This time, she had to go with it, she told herself, but she couldn’t help but worry when Saigon was so far away, so different, because in her, Saigon was a bustling, vibrant and colorful city. Then, on July 20, Ms. Hanh and 300 other lecturers and students of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Thai Nguyen University) set off to the South. The baggage they carry is the enthusiasm of youth and with them, Saigon will not be alone anymore… – they think.

“When I left, I just thought that the medical staff in Ho Chi Minh City were suffering too much and couldn’t sit still anymore” – Ngan Hanh said.

Perhaps many years from now, this young teacher will also never forget the first day of the assignment with unrelenting obsession and torment. Because in the first day of receiving the assignment in Binh Chanh district, someone came to the health station to test for COVID-19 in a state of shortness of breath and needed immediate emergency care. At that time, only Hanh was the doctor present, so she did everything possible to win the patient’s life. When the patient took his last breath, Ngan Hanh was shocked to realize the fierceness of this battle.

“As doctors, seeing dead people is not too strange for us. But even if a hundred or a thousand times, seeing a patient die in front of you without being able to save is an indescribable pain. In that life-and-death circle, I couldn’t save them back to the birth gate” – Le Ngan Hanh bitterly.

That 26-year-old girl had to quickly regain her spirits because not only did she take care of herself, she also carried the mission of leading and standing side by side with students who were still confused when entering the epidemic center at a new age. twenties. Teacher Hanh is in charge of 19 volunteer students in many communes in Binh Chanh district.

But no matter how hard and strong Ngan Hanh was, she couldn’t stand up when she heard that her students were unfortunately exposed. She was mentally prepared even if she was an infected person, but why was this moment so difficult for her. Lecturer Le Ngan Hanh’s delegation had up to 3 students infected with COVID-19 while participating in the fight against the epidemic – also the group with the highest number of infected people.

“Fortunately, perhaps medical students also have a bit of experience, so you have conquered death,” Ngan Hanh recalls, but her voice still trembles when thinking about those unforgettable days.

Teacher Hanh said, at that time, Saigon had gone through rainy days, the rain came in a hurry, but the pace of life in this city was so slow that no one could imagine. The streets are dotted with people, “smells of vehicles”, “smells of traffic jams” like the old city. Only the haunting sound of the ambulance remained – the sound that made people feel a scene of so many people facing the line between life and death in that life-and-death circle.

“I love you so much, I really can’t describe how sorry I am. A loved one died but no one else in the family was allowed to take care of the funeral, the aftermath, and could not even come near. I only know how to use the word love” – ​​Ngan Hanh kept repeating such a loving word over and over when referring to the plight of her compatriots.

After a 2-month long journey to help in the center of the epidemic, Ngan Hanh said goodbye to Ho Chi Minh City but was obsessed with the life-and-death line, haunted by people leaving but loved ones could not get close. Their choked sobs cut the hearts of Ngan Hanh and colleagues. And so that those inconsolable pains can be alleviated, Ngan Hanh and a large number of medical faculty are trying their best to support the treatment, emergency and resuscitation lines.

Forget the fear of burying COVID-19 patients

Teacher Ngan Hanh and many other teachers have joined hands with doctors to win the lives of patients. But in this smokeless war, there will be people who cannot return.

And if the sick person died, many people volunteered to bury them and take care of their afterlife. Among those special people is teacher Nguyen Thanh Thai Ha, 32 years old, Lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. The wheel of Ms. Thai Ha rolling bon bon on the streets of Saigon in the days of July carries even tormented hopes – today no more people will leave. The work that Thai Ha’s volunteer group does is bury and take care of the afterlife for those who have died because of COVID-19.

Thai Ha is used to volunteering, but what she often sees is the joy in the eyes of the person being supported. And now, the people that Thai Ha helped have passed away. “I never thought I would one day do this job. Usually, people think volunteering is going to cook rice and distribute gifts, but no one thinks about going to a funeral.

At first, I confessed that I was very scared, afraid of separation and loss and perhaps never had I seen so many people die in front of me. But the love for the compatriots overwhelms that vague fear. When I first started working, after every shift came home, everyone cried because it was so heartbreaking. Witnessing so many scenes of silver-headed people seeing off green-headed people, some families lost 2-3 loved ones. Then gradually, everyone told themselves to hold back the pain. Because I went to support but was still so weak, people could not overcome that pain. We only know how to do our best work so that our family members feel comforted” – Thai Ha shared.

In those gloomy days, teacher Thai Ha and the volunteer group were somewhat comforted when they encountered a special case. After burying a person without relatives and posting her information on the Facebook of the charity group, her biological daughter, who had been missing for many years, recognized her mother and went to An Lac pagoda to receive her ashes back to return home. adore.

During the peak epidemic season, Thai Ha focused 100% of her energy on volunteer work. Now that the school year has begun, teacher Ha is both teaching and supporting the volunteer group. “I try to prepare a full lesson plan and pursue my work, while volunteering will arrange to do it. Try to do 2 things at the same time every day, “- Thai Ha said.

The teachers during the epidemic period have contributed to helping many more lives to be revived, making the teaching profession more noble. Then, hundreds of thousands of teachers will continue to carry on their shoulders the noble mission of cultivating people, they will “plant” millions of more compassionate hearts.