'The trumpeters of the whole country' during the Covid-19 pandemic in Nghe An

The key is home

Vinh Tan Ward is one of the most complicated epidemic centers in Vinh City, due to its proximity to the wholesale market. This is the ward with the most cases in Vinh City at present, with many areas being locked down since the beginning of the epidemic... When we mentioned the topic of "those who blow the trumpet and the whole village" during the epidemic, Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung - Secretary of the Vinh Tan Ward Party Committee immediately introduced Mr. Tran Van Phu - Deputy Head of the Cong Hoa Bloc.

However, it took many calls before we could have a full conversation with Mr. Phu. Because every time we were talking, Mr. Phu’s phone rang continuously. Those were calls for help from people in this block. Therefore, we had to pause so he could talk to the people, then immediately set out to support them…

Mr. Phu took a nap after a hard day of supporting people. Photo: Contributor

Mr. Phu said that for the past 10 days, his phone has been hot with calls like that. The Republic Block has about 300 households, and has recorded 4 F0 cases in the past 10 days. In the block, 2 residential areas were locked down, and people were not allowed to leave their homes. Therefore, all the needs of the people almost fell on the shoulders of the enthusiastic deputy block head. Since the pandemic hit, Mr. Phu has gradually become an "involuntary transporter". From going to the market to help households, Mr. Phu also took on the job of a free shipper. Such as delivering documents, papers, food, groceries... even F1s who completed centralized quarantine, also said "Oh, deputy block head", to be picked up to quarantine at home.

“Luckily, I used to work at the market, so when people asked me to go to the market for them, it wasn’t too difficult. Because I was so used to it,” said Mr. Phu.

Transporting goods to people in locked-down areas. Photo: Contributor

Since the F0 appeared in Vinh City, Mr. Phu has hardly had a full night's sleep. Except for the times when he goes shopping for households or transports things, he spends most of his time at Covid-19 checkpoints. When he is too tired, he sleeps right next to the checkpoint. For many days now, it has been rare for his wife and children to see him at home. "My wife sometimes nags. But that's okay," the 60-year-old deputy head of the block said with a smile.

Mr. Phu served in the army for many years. After leaving the battlefield, he returned to his hometown to work at Vinh wholesale market. More than a year ago, due to a sore leg, he quit. He said that right after being discharged from the army, he returned to his hometown to do "social work". From a civil defense officer, then for nearly 20 years working as a deputy block leader with the current allowance of nearly 800,000 VND. "I work for the community, for my responsibility to society. In fact, the allowance is not even enough for gas money," said Mr. Phu.

Perhaps, because the allowance is not much, but in charge of a very large amount of work in the current context, people like Mr. Phu are being called "the general trumpeter".

“Although he is quite old, Mr. Phu is still very active. In the past few days, he has stayed up almost all night with the forces at the checkpoint. He has never refused any request for help from the people. Although it may be a small task on normal days, it is very urgent during this epidemic. From delivering documents to transporting necessities to households in the blockade area…”, Ms. Phan Thi Thuy Hang, a resident of Cong Hoa block commented.

Cadres of residential groups and groups in Vinh City wait to receive food from the Zero-VND booth to distribute to people in the block with difficult circumstances. Photo: Duc Anh

Everything is in hand

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Mr. Bui Duc Quang - Block 1 Chief (Trung Do Ward), has spent most of his time on the streets. From tracing, working at checkpoints, monitoring the community, patrolling to shopping and transporting goods to people, he has done it all. The block has more than 300 households, so far recording 4 F0 cases, a series of households have been locked down early. That is why almost everything falls into the hands of this 63-year-old block chief.

Mr. Quang said that, right after discovering the F0 case, he had to stay up all night to support the medical team in tracing the contacts. Because no one is closer to the people than block leaders like him. After tracing, Mr. Quang and the neighborhood leaders are responsible for closely monitoring those who are subject to home quarantine. Before the entire Vinh City implemented the "stay where you are" measure, block 1 of Trung Do ward had dozens of households locked down and not allowed to leave their homes. The block was responsible for providing food and other essential needs for people in the locked down area.

Mr. Quang received the support goods, then returned to the block to distribute to the people. Photo: TH

“If households in the locked-down area need to buy anything, just send a message to the neighborhood group, then the group will send it to the block. We will buy it for them and deliver it to their homes. In addition, we will not refuse any legitimate needs, and at any time,” said Mr. Quang.

Mr. Bui Dang Ha once delivered food to the blockaded area. Photo: Contributor

Similar to Mr. Quang, Mr. Bui Dang Ha, 71 years old, Head of Vinh My Block, Vinh Tan Ward, has also been exhausted due to the epidemic for nearly half a month. When we contacted him, Mr. Ha had lost his voice and could only speak softly after many days of continuously propagating and calling on people to comply with epidemic prevention regulations. Mr. Ha is Catholic, and 70% of the residents in his block are Catholics.

Block cadres in Hong Son ward, Vinh city participate in the checkpoint. Photo: TH

Mr. Ha said that the work of a block leader is usually quite leisurely. But since the pandemic hit, he has been "spinning like a top". Mr. Ha's phone is almost always on hand. Not only does he receive calls for help from people, he is also the person who connects information between the government and the people. He has to constantly update the latest documents and instructions from the government, then promptly convey them to the people through loudspeakers. When there is an F0 in the area, he runs like a shuttle, from the ward headquarters to the block, from the market to the blockade area...

A block leader in Vinh Tan ward is on duty at the blockade post. Photo: Contributor

Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung - Secretary of Vinh Tan Ward Party Committee said that with 38 F0, this is the ward with the most cases in Nghe An province at present. "The anti-epidemic work in the past few days has been very difficult, especially for the block cadres. Although most of them are old, they still work very enthusiastically and responsibly. Meanwhile, there is a lot of work that cannot be handled without their participation. They deserve to be the extended arms of the government apparatus to the grassroots level," Mr. Dung assessed.

People like Mr. Phu, Mr. Quang, and Mr. Ha inherently have very little rights and power, but in the current epidemic context, the role of these people is extremely important. Especially when Vinh City is having to "stay where you are", the provision of food for more than half a million people in Vinh City depends largely on these enthusiastic people.