Warm Tet at the Nursing Center for Wounded Soldiers

(Baonghean.vn) - On the 29th of Tet, the earth and sky are joyfully entering spring, every family has prepared a tray of offerings to their ancestors, decorated their houses to welcome a peaceful and prosperous Tet. At the Nghe An Mental Health Nursing Center located in Hamlet 22, Nghi Phong Commune (Nghi Loc), they are also welcoming the new spring with thoughtful and complete preparations, so that more than 70 war invalids who stay behind can celebrate a warm and meaningful traditional Tet.

Both the center staff and the war invalids participated in wrapping the cakes.

Banh chung for war invalids has full traditional flavor

We arrived at the Mental Health Care Center for War Invalids just one day before the 30th of Tet. In the clean and beautiful campus, the sound of laughter and chatter filled the quiet atmosphere of everyday life. In the corner of the yard, the logistics team, including the staff on duty for Tet and the patients whose health was stable, quickly wrapped green Chung cakes to make offerings on New Year's Eve. Another group was busy butchering pork so that the kitchen could prepare it in time for the New Year's Eve meal. In the hall, the staff and some war invalids were decorating peach blossoms to welcome the New Year. In the residential areas, the war invalids were taking care of each other: cutting hair, cutting nails, drying clothes... The seriously wounded were being cared for by doctors to prepare for Tet. The atmosphere was warm like a big family.

Mr. Tuan - Head of the rearing team with the pigs to serve the wounded soldiers during Tet

In recent years, with the attention of the Party, the State, all levels, sectors, and local authorities, the lives of war invalids and seriously ill soldiers have become less difficult. In the laughter of the banh chung wrapping team, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan - Head of the logistics team, who has been attached to the "village of seriously ill soldiers" for 21 years and is on duty at the center every year for Tet, said: This year, the center organized for the brothers to celebrate a full Tet with two pigs raised by the cadres themselves, fish caught in the pond, and all kinds of clean vegetables grown in the yards and gardens. Banh chung is also wrapped and cooked by us ourselves, very fun and meaningful...

In the small kitchen, Ms. Thai Thi Thu Ha was busy with her sisters preparing dishes for the New Year's Eve meal with the wounded soldiers. When we asked her questions, she stopped and confided: Some of the wounded soldiers here have had to celebrate Tet at the center for decades, and everyone feels restless and sad during Tet. Therefore, we always try our best to share and bring a warm Tet atmosphere to the wounded soldiers. This year, Ms. Ha will be on duty at the center for Tet from the 26th to the 7th of Tet, so her young child has to be sent to her grandparents in the countryside. There are also moments when she misses her child, but she said that her love for the wounded soldiers surpasses Tet.

War invalids at the center regularly eat clean vegetables grown by the center's staff.

Prepare New Year's Eve meal for war invalids

At the Mental Health Care Center, we feel the two words happiness are so simple, that is the sacrifice between people for each other. The fates here are all those who have contributed a part of their blood and bones to the country, some people are now unable to take care of themselves, some people in their memories only have the call to charge, all day long raise their hands to salute in the military style... However, they still love and protect each other with the sacred comradeship, teammate love, encourage each other to continue living and fighting in a "new battle", to fight to overcome themselves, to defeat the disease.

Doctor Nguyen Huu Trung takes care of wounded soldier Nguyen Van Phu

War invalid Le Dinh Bang cuts hair for war invalid Phan Quy Chau

A wounded soldier has his nails cut by a center officer.

The center is currently nurturing and providing rehabilitation treatment for 93 seriously wounded soldiers, mainly with a disability rate of 81% or higher from Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri provinces, of which only 23 people were welcomed home by their relatives to reunite with their families during Tet, while 70 people stayed to celebrate Tet at the center, most of whom have no family or children, many of whom have no relatives left. For them, the center is their home, their last refuge so that they can live a meaningful life. However, every time Tet comes, in the rare moments of lucidity, in the smell of banh chung smoke mixed in the cozy space, many wounded soldiers also have heavy thoughts...

Mr. Pham Thanh Tru - Director of the center said: "There are many patients who had relatives come to visit them last year during Tet, but this year they are still waiting, every afternoon they go to the end of the alley behind the iron gate and look into the distance...". Seeing a female war invalid walking behind us, smiling and posing for photos, Mr. Tru introduced: that is Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien from Nam Dan, who has schizophrenia and is deaf, so she can only communicate with outsiders through signs. In addition to Ms. Hien, there are 12 female patients at the center, most of whom have been here for more than ten years, they do not have families, so they consider the center their home.

Visitors to the center are greeted by wounded soldiers in military style.

We also had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Phan Quy Chau, born in 1956, from Duc Tho - Ha Tinh, who has not returned home for Tet for more than ten years. Mr. Chau is a mild patient with physical brain damage, so except for the occasional weather change, he is still very alert. He said: "For the past few days, I have seen the nurses announce that Tet is coming soon, many groups will come to visit, I am very happy". In addition to Mr. Chau, there are also Mr. Phan Van Tru and Mr. Tran Van Quang who have also been attached to the center, considering the center as their home for more than twenty years. For them, Tet is a day to reunite, watch performances, and eat banh chung, just that much but they are eagerly waiting for it.

Nghe An Newspaper reporter talks with war invalids

Understanding and sharing the situation of war invalids, the staff at the center always try to let them live in a warm Tet atmosphere like a family. It is not only a responsibility but also a gratitude to those who have contributed to the country and the people. Young doctor Nguyen Huu Trung, born in 1990, has been working at the center for 4 years, shared: “We consider war invalids here as our grandfathers, uncles, and aunts. Therefore, in addition to taking care of their health, we often go to each room to visit and chat with them, hoping to ease their homesickness…”

Center staff and war invalids decorate peach branches to celebrate Tet

The center’s Tet duty schedule is divided into two shifts, half from the 26th to the 7th of Tet, and the other half from the 7th to the 15th. On New Year’s Eve, staff, doctors, nurses and 70 wounded and sick soldiers will celebrate the traditional New Year together in the large hall, singing songs celebrating the Party and Spring, saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year with new hopes…

Khanh Ly - Thanh Nga