Medical station staff 'during' COVID-19: No days off at work

There are no days off at work.
T Day CelebrationVietnamese medicine(February 27) is near, but medical staff at commune, ward and town health stations are still busy with epidemic prevention and control work.COVID-19. Over the past 3 years, since the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, invaded, and threatened people's health, the bouquets of flowers, wishes, festivals, cultural and sports exchanges on important holidays have been a beautiful memory...

On Monday morning, many people in the "Red Zone" came to the Kim Son town Health Station to get a quick COVID-19 test. Photo: Thanh Cuong

On Monday morning at the Kim Son Town Health Station, Que Phong District, the medical staff at the station were buried in a mountain of work. 3/6 of the station's staff in protective clothing were busy taking samples for rapid testing to detect infections. Kim Son Town was assessed as level 4 (very high risk - red zone). On average, the town still recorded over 15 new COVID-19 infections each day. This morning, dozens of people with suspected symptoms and a history of contact with F0 came to the station for testing.

It's raining, the cooling system of the medical station is full of water. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The remaining 3 officers of the station are in charge of recording information about infected cases, contacting and understanding the health status of patients being treated at home to see if they need any support, providing health advice and providing treatment solutions. At present, the town has over 160 COVID-19 patients at home... When situations arise such as a patient's health taking a turn for the worse; a suspected case but unable to go to the rapid test station; or together with the town's COVID-19 Prevention and Control Command Center to assess home quarantine conditions, they go to each household.

After Tet, Kim Son town recorded approximately 15 new infections every day. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Doctor Vi Thi Phuong - Head of Kim Son Town Health Station (in charge of the Mobile Health Station) is always on the phone, instructing: "Whenever you see any unusual symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing or pain, you must immediately call the health station's hotline. We will be there immediately!"... Every day, Doctor Phuong still makes hundreds of calls related to the epidemic.

Doctor Vi Thi Phuong called to check on the health status of F0 being treated at home. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Doctor Vi Thi Phuong shared about the difficulties of epidemic prevention work in the period after Tet holiday until now: The epidemic in the locality is very complicated; there are many community infections; many infected people have no symptoms. People in the highland areas are still subjective, with insufficient awareness of the epidemic. The housing conditions of many patients do not ensure isolation and treatment at home. Many cases have to be taken to the district's centralized isolation facility as well as Area B of the District Military Command for treatment. The workload is very large, the women at the station are always overloaded.

At this time, Kim Son town has over 160 F0 patients being treated at home. Photo: Thanh Chung

The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging, making it very difficult for health workers in general and health stations in particular. With limited human resources, the station has to handle many tasks at the same time, from receiving information, classifying quarantine and treatment, taking samples, vaccinating against COVID-19, and handling unusual health cases. In addition to COVID-19 prevention and control, the health station also has to do many other tasks such as initial medical examination and treatment, communication, management of non-communicable diseases, HIV prevention and control, tuberculosis prevention and control, Methadone distribution, environmental sanitation, etc.

Going into the mountains to check on the health of patients being treated at home. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Ms. Tran Nhung - an officer at Kim Son Town Health Station confided: "Work piles up on work", we eat and sleep quickly, urgently, then quickly get back to work. The work of preventing and fighting the epidemic requires the officers at the station to work at 200-300% capacity, without a moment of rest. Everyone is very tired and worried, but everyone identifies this as the responsibility of medical staff - the frontline of fighting the epidemic, protecting the health of the people, so they all try their best.

The COVID-19 epidemic is developing complicatedly in many communes, wards and towns in the province. Photo: Thanh Cuong

"Take the station as home"

At this time, the COVID-19 epidemic in Nghe An is still spreading strongly. Every day, the province still records over 2,000 new infections, of which over 500 are community cases. Not only Kim Son town but also 460/460 communes, wards and towns in the province are facing the epidemic. To prevent the pandemic, medical staff have "made the station their home", regardless of the hardship, day or night, sacrificing moments of reunion and personal happiness to fight the epidemic...

Staff of Kim Son town health station donated money to elderly and lonely LTP patients in Thai Son block. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The sacrifices of health workers in general and primary health workers in particular during this period are enormous. However, sadly, there are still people who put unnecessary pressure on us, saying ungrateful things like “The health sector can only help you know if you are positive or negative”… That pressure is hurting health workers. A health station worker wrote on social media: “Please do not put pressure on health workers, because we have already done our best. You sleep, we stay awake, you go out, we work. You have the right to demand, but we can only serve silently. For 3 years, the health sector has had no holidays, no time to take care of the family. Meals are eaten in a hurry, and we don’t even have time to drink water…

Going to the city, rapid testing for pregnant women suspected of being infected with COVID-19. Photo: Thanh Cuong

…We have tried so hard these past few months, we have fought with all our might. Please understand and sympathize with us a little more, okay? Don’t put more pressure on us, okay? Don’t ask for too much, because we also know how to be hurt…”.

Medical staff still silently sacrifice for the peaceful life and health of the people. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27) is approaching. Medical staff do not expect flowers or wishes. They only hope that people will understand, sympathize, cooperate and do a good job in preventing and fighting the epidemic. Only then will life return to normal and medical staff will have less trouble.