A volunteer of the group

“Our family members are under concentrated quarantine. I plan to buy this medicine for storage. Please tell me if I can use the medicine,” a woman asked.

In reply, Vi Thi Thuy Trang, a physician from Hanoi, said this is a functional food that helps improve resistance capability and can be used.

“Please help us. Four family members have tested positive, including two children, seven years old and one year old. The younger child and I are at the Field Hospital No 4,” another entry said.

“I don’t know where to contact to ask questions. I feel embarrassed,” she wrote.

These are just some of hundreds posts on ‘Giup nhau mua dich’ group. People raise questions and ask for advice about every issue related to the pandemic. Nearly all entries and questions have been answered.

The Facebook chat group was created one week ago, but the number of members has increased to more than 200 accounts. By the end of first half of July 23, there had been 400 posts. There were shouts for food assistance.

The Facebook chat group was created one week ago, but the number of members has increased to more than 200 accounts. By the end of first half of July 23, there had been 400 posts. There were shouts for food assistance.

Other people asked for advice on how to deal with diseases when they cannot go to hospital for examination. There were F0 (infected) and F1 (close contacts of infected) cases who asked for advice about health. Meanwhile, many benefactors said they wanted to donate medicine, oxygen tanks and ambulances.

Many people joining the Facebook group are physicians and medical experts who are ready to give advice.

“I am Specialist Level 2 Doctor Truong Ba Quan. I am now working in HCM City. I can help you with my knowledge. You can contact me via Zalo or Messenger. Thank you and wish you good health,” Quan wrote.

Many other doctors have posted similar entries in Facebook groups and their posts have received hundreds of comments, thanks, and thousands of likes. Psychiatrists have also joined the group.

“Hello admin and everyone! I specialize in psychotherapy. I can help the community overcome the current difficult period. If you have any problems that need advice, please contact me via Zalo with the phone number XXX. I wish everyone good health,” a post said.

General practitioner Phan Xuan Trung from Hoa Hao Medical Center in HCM City said he created this group with an aim to provide medical support, and to call on colleagues to support patients during a difficult period when many patients may need medical assistance. At first, doctors in HCM City joined the group, but later, there have been doctors from Hanoi and other provinces as well.

“The group has developed rapidly and it can provide support in many fields, beyond my initial expectations,” Trung told VietNamNet.

“Every question receives tens or hundreds of replies of advice. This makes our work more significant,” Trung said.

As there are many members and the number of posts is high, more than 10 people work to check the posts to avoid identical posts. All of them are volunteers.

Many individuals and businesses have expressed their wish to give support in medicine, food, ambulances and disinfectant spraying. Other volunteers offer to help monitor F0 cases and give support when necessary.

Trung has a clinic, but it has been closed because of social distancing. So he came up with the idea of setting up the Facebook group to connect people who need medical advice and doctors who have free time.

“I am happy that the group has prestige and we can help people. The credit belongs to physicians, specialists, and benefactors and those who help me in group administration,” he said. 

Hai Dang

Over 2,000 volunteers to help HCM City fight Covid-19 epidemic

According to the Ministry of Health, by 6pm on July 26, the number of volunteers registered to assist HCM City's fight against the pandemic was over 2,000, including nearly 1,900 people in HCM City and over 200 people from other provinces.

Volunteer crew delivers food to quarantine areas

Wearing stuffy protective suits and climbing into cabins with antiseptic odors, the crew kickstarts the engine to prepare food and meals to send to quarantine areas and field hospitals.