Nguyen Thi Van Anh, a 38-year-old nurse at Vinh Tan Ward’s Healthcare Centre in central Nghe An Province’s Vinh City, talks to her family members on a break from taking swab samples for COVID-19 tests. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thi Van Anh

The mother was Nguyen Thi Van Anh, a 38-year-old nurse at Vinh Tan Ward’s Healthcare Centre in central Nghe An Province’s Vinh City. She was among the frontline medical workers to conduct mass testing for suspected patients in the city.

It was a special situation. On June 23, Van Anh met her two sons and her parents-in-law when she was helping mass test people living near the new confirmed cases in the ward. That night, a new infection was reported in her residential area.

In the photo, Van Anh, wearing her PPE, was trying to say something to her two sons, who were sitting with their grandparents after they had been swabbed for COVID-19 tests.  

It had been two weeks since Van Anh left home to live and work in the health centre, two weeks since she kissed her two sons goodbye.

“The photo was taken by the vice-chairman of the ward’s People’s Committee. I didn’t know about the photo as I was too busy tracing and taking samples of suspected people when a new case was found,” she told the online newspaper dantri.com.vn.

After Vinh reported a community case on June 13, the city’s health sector launched the fight against the virus. Van Anh’s husband, a border guard, has been working to control entry in remote areas of Vu Quang District in central Ha Tinh Province for more than three months.

Van Anh sent her two children – a 14-year-old and a seven-year-old – to her parents-in-law and moved to live in Vinh Tan Ward’s Healthcare Centre, which became the concentrated quarantine site for suspected patients.

On the night of June 23, Vinh Tan Ward reported a community case involving the biggest wholesale market in the province.

Van Anh and her colleagues were mobilised to conduct rapid tests for all people living nearby, including the alley where she lived.

“I was shocked when the alley was isolated and people were waiting for testing, including my family,” she said.

Her small son, Tran Dang Khoa, recognised Van Anh although she was in her protective suit.

“You go to work and don’t come back, just like Dad. I miss you so much!” he said.

This was the first time Khoa had been away from his mother for such a long time.

Van Anh said her job was quite busy and usually finished at 4am since the infections hit the area two weeks ago.

Although the office was only a kilometre away from her house, she didn’t go home to ensure the safety of her family.  

“When I saw my sons, I just wanted to rush over and hold them tight, but I was on a mission and it would increase the infection risk to them. That’s why I stood far away and talked to them,” she said.

“Ninh is independent and very careful, so I’m not worried about him, but Khoa is still small and has a strong bonding with me. He needs to be encouraged more,” she said.

Van Anh told her children they didn’t have much time but that she would be home soon.

She said she and her colleagues had gotten used to the all-night swab sample collection, cold meals and sleeping in a chair or even on the office floor.

“We have only one wish that the pandemic will end so that we can get back to normal life and be with our families,” she said.

Source: Vietnam News

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