Members of Sun Flower Voluntary Club, Bac Giang branch prepare to provide meals to poor patients at the provincial Tumor Hospital.

Though it’s extremely hot in midsummer since early morning, the members of Hoa Huong Duong (Sun Flower) voluntary club, Bac Giang branch was busy preparing ingredients and stoves to cook for patients at the Bac Giang provincial Tumor Hospital.

All members of the club started working enthusiastically without any meeting to assign tasks. Some people went to the market since early morning to select the best food while the others volunteered to light fires regardless of hot weather. Besides, a group of female members washed vegetable, prepared rice or cut meat and fried tofu. Although they got wet with sweat, everyone expressed great joys to do charity work.

The portions of “delicious and cheap” food were completed rapidly and carefully arranged to go 5-kilometre distance to be delivered at the hospital.

Than Thi Loan (born in 1989), a club member shared, “As we know poor patients have to worry about both hospital expense and daily meals, we chose this way to share with their difficulties”. The club has come into operation in a short time (since May 2018) with a limited financial donation, thus the monthly “humanitarian meal” activity has just provided nearly 100 portions to poor patients.

With the same principle “do as you would be done by”, members of the Bong hong tim (Violet rose) club provide “meals of love” to needy patients at the general hospital of Tan Yen district three times a month. At about 10.30 am when they had finished cooking, the club members in violet uniforms rapidly brought delicious meals to patients and their relatives.

“When we have to stay in the hospital for a long time, medical expense burdens our family. Thus, we really appreciate these humanitarian meals”, said Phung Thi Duc, Hop Duc commune.

Dinh Van Nha, Ngoc Thien commune said, “We just want to say how grateful we are for the sharing and help of the donors. I hope this activity will be maintained so that more poor patients will be helped”.

The humanitarian meal not only helps needy patients, it is also precious spiritual medicine for the patients to quickly recover their health. Than Trong Hung, Director of the provincial Tumor Hospital.

Apart from delivering food directly to patients at the hospital reception hall, the volunteers go to the departments and patient rooms to give food to seriously-ill patients who face difficulties in moving. Currently, the Violet rose club is collaborating with the Red Cross Society of Tan Yen district to carry out this activity 4 times a month on every Friday.

According to Tran Dinh Hieu, Deputy Head of the Healthcare Department, the provincial Red Cross Society, the province has implemented 3 models of “humanitarian meals” at the provincial tumor hospital, rehabilitation hospital and general hospital of Tan Yen district. 

Although each portion is small in price, it brings great values. The aims of contributing to the society and helping unlucky persons motivate the volunteers to work with all their hearts. In the coming time, we hope to receive more support from donors to improve both quantity and quality of the food rations.

Tuong Vi