Long rows, long hours as HCMC Covid patients await deliveries
By Dinh Van
Thu, 7/22/2021 | 15:00 (GMT+7)
Hundreds of people lined up nearly two hours to deliver necessities to Covid-19 patients inside a field hospital complex in HCMC's Thu Duc City.
On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of shippers and family members of Covid-19 patients lined up in front of five field hospitals in Thu Duc City's An Khanh Ward to deliver food, medications and other necessities.
All deliveries are disinfected for Covid-19 prevention before being taken inside the hospitals' collection zones.
People were lined up in five rows to wait their turn. Each person is spaced 1.5 meters apart from another.
Ride-hailing driver Tran Van Cuong, 30, delivers a parcel from Nha Be District.
"I rode over 20 kilometers to get here, waited another two hours to deliver the parcel, and only received VND137,000 ($5.96) in return," he said.
Heavier packages are pushed inside.
"I packed some coconuts, oranges, meds and some other food for my daughter," said Le Thi Thao, 45, adding her daughter got infected with the coronavirus in District 1.
"I brought necessities, pans and pots for two relatives treated inside the hospital," said Duong Cong Ni from Binh Thanh District while wheeling a cart.
A 22-year-old pharmacist in a protective suit brought a kettle, gloves and other meds for her mother, who tested positive on July 20.
"My mom got tested so she could return to her hometown in the central province of Quang Ngai, but the result returned positive. She only had time to bring some clothes into the hospital," the pharmacist said.
Medical workers checked each delivery. Alcohol, beer, cigarettes, water and food containing water are not allowed in.
Medical workers drove shuttles to deliver packages to Covid-19 patients.
The field hospital complex for Covid-19 treatment in An Khanh Ward is currently treating around 10,000 patients.
Ho Chi Minh City, the heaviest hit locality in Vietnam's fourth coronavirus wave since late April, has recorded 43,776 local cases so far.