Nguyen Tat Thanh University volunteers for Covid-19 prevention and control campaign at Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC)

On the morning of May 18, 2021, the first delegation of 3 lecturers and 12 students from Faculty of Medicine, NTTU joined the Covid-19 prevention and control campaign at the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC). These 12 students were divided into 3 quarantine management areas at hotels, (local) districts and military bases. The specific duties for students include data input, contacting local hospitals to obtain data, data synthesis, information collection about the outbreak in epidemic areas across the country for health declaration and disease control. Before directly handling volunteer works at quarantine centers, students were trained by the HCDC’s staff on how to wear personal protective equipment, how to perform a nasopharyngeal swab, and etc.

Students are working at HCDC

Among 12 students participating in the campaign at HCDC, Vo Thi Dong Dong, a 4th year student majoring in Preventive Medicine, shared: “I feel honored to be able to represent so many students majoring in Healthcare to be a part of the epidemic prevention and control campaign, especially during the complicated and unpredictable developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical students have knowledge about healthcare, diseases and willingness to assist patients… Due to the current status of the pandemic, I’m wondering if we, medical students as a prepared healthcare workforce, do not support frontline health workers in need, then who else would do that? Moreover, I will learn a lot of experience and practice necessary skills for my profession.”

Students are on the training before starting to work

Parents of Bui Quy Nam, a junior majoring in General Medicine, said: “When my son called to say that he was on the list of students participating in the HCDC’s Covid-19 prevention and control army. Honestly, I was worried and did not want to let my son join in when the epidemic situation became more and more unpredictable. But he convinced me that since he is a medical student, he should know how to protect himself not getting infected with coronavirus and wants to contribute to the Covid-19 prevention and control campaign, so I agreed.”

In addition to their participation in Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control at municipal hospitals, medical students of Nguyen Tat Thanh University also help with disease prevention actions at the University such as undertaking temperature measurements for staff, lecturers, students, sanitization at laboratories, as well as donations for COVID-19 vaccines.