Kindness in Ho Chi Minh City: First aid team quietly assists people at night

As dusk falls, the streets of Binh Tan District become bustling. Instead of going home to spend the evening with their families, members of the Binh Tan District Mobile Disaster Response Team begin their mission of providing first aid and vehicle repair to people who have had accidents on the road.

Accepting that they won't have more time to spend with their families, Doan Quoc Han and Nguyen Chi Hau hurriedly prepared first aid kits for accidents, mobile tire repair tools, etc. to gather at the foot of Provincial Road 10 overpass (Tan Tao Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City) to perform rescue and relief missions. According to Quoc Han and Chi Hau, first aid is a basic emergency treatment for victims of trauma or illness, when they have not been taken to the hospital or the ambulance has not arrived yet.

"As long as there are people in need, my brothers and I will continue to work"

Wearing the shirt of the Red Cross of Binh Tan District that has been stained by time, Mr. Doan Quoc Han (33 years old, living in Tan Tao A Ward, Binh Tan District) could not help but reminisce about the days when the Mobile Disaster Prevention and Response Team of Binh Tan District had not yet been formed. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Han and some of his brothers roamed the roads of Binh Tan District late at night to provide first aid and repair vehicles for people in distress. Whenever they discover someone with a broken car, running out of gas or having an accident, the team members would help without expecting anything in return.

Mr. Hoang Han and his wife patch tires for people at night . PHOTO: NVCC

Mr. Han cannot remember how many nights he stayed up, how many roads he traveled, how many people he gave first aid to... What still resonates in that young man is the day the team was officially "born". The brothers in the team, like Mr. Han, are all manual laborers. Mr. Han is diligently working on the delivery of goods on the Ho Chi Minh City - Central Highlands route from early morning to late afternoon. The other members earn a living with all kinds of jobs, from motorbike taxi drivers, bricklayers, barbers, delivery men to street vendors... On April 29, 2022, the brothers in the team officially had their own name under the common roof of the Binh Tan District Red Cross Society. Thanks to the leadership of Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nhan, Vice President of the Binh Tan District Red Cross Society, the Binh Tan District Mobile Disaster Prevention and Response Team was born, becoming a safe haven for many people in the middle of dangerous nights. Up to now, the team has 28 members, Mr. Han holds the role of Deputy team leader. Every night, from 8pm to midnight, they patch tires for free, provide first aid for accidents, assist drunk people, regulate traffic... The hotline number 0355654482, which is directly held by Mr. Han, becomes a "savior" for anyone in trouble at any time. After midnight, if the phone rings, he and his teammates do not hesitate to run to the rescue. Since the team was officially established, members have been equipped with first aid skills through specialized training courses by the Binh Tan District Red Cross Society. Thanks to that, everyone in the team is skilled in the profession and can perform first aid proficiently in emergency situations.

Binh Tan District's mobile disaster response team supports people involved in traffic accident at night. PHOTO: NVCC

Mr. Han feels lucky to have his wife, Ms. Vo Thi Kim Ngan (29 years old, in Tan Tao A Ward, Binh Tan District) is always by his side to support him. "I am so happy that my wife not only encouraged me but also joined me from the very beginning. She takes care of everything in the house, helping me feel more confident in this journey," the man's eyes lit up with emotion when talking about his wife. Although the work is sometimes dangerous and often requires staying up all night, Mr. Han and his teammates never feel discouraged. "As long as our legs are not tired and there are people in need, we will continue to do it," the young man said firmly and clearly.

Small strength but big heart

Mr. Nguyen Chi Hau (34 years old, in Binh Tri Dong Ward, Binh Tan District) joined the Binh Tan District Mobile Disaster Prevention and Response Team from the very first days. Mr. Hau is the breadwinner of a family with 4 young children. Every day, the father has to work hard from dawn to dusk. Although tired, after each day of work, the man still shares the housework with his wife and children. Before dinner has even cooled, Mr. Hau hastily prepared first aid equipment, fixed the car, and drove to the Provincial Road 10 overpass to support the people with his teammates.

Mr. Chi Hau helps take people involved in traffic accidents to the hospital . PHOTO: NVCC

Mr. Hau still remembers the days when Ho Chi Minh City was submerged in the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the brothers in the first aid team who supported his family with packages of rice, packages of milk... From that gratitude, he decided to join the rescue path. But it was not until the city gradually recovered from the pandemic that he was able to put on the red shirt of the Binh Tan District Red Cross Society. Leaving home early in the morning, when the children were still awake, and returning at midnight, the father rarely had time to be with his children. Mr. Hau and his wife have 4 children, but because they did not have time to pick them up and drop them off and the cost of education was too high, they had to send 2 children (the second and third) to Ca Mau province to study and live with their grandparents. Mr. Hau's wife, Ms. Tran Thi Be Thuy (32 years old, in Binh Tri Dong Ward, Binh Tan District) initially did not completely agree when her husband decided to join the team. But gradually, understanding the meaning of this job, Ms. Thuy not only supported but also wanted to accompany her husband. Joining the first aid team, Mr. Hau was taught how to repair motorbikes by his brothers and participated in intensive first aid training courses of the Red Cross Society of Binh Tan District. After only a few weeks of studying, he mastered the necessary first aid and vehicle repair skills to rescue victims in emergency situations.

Mr. Quoc Han (right) and Mr. Chi Hau (left), 2 members of the Mobile Disaster Prevention and Response Team of Binh Tan District. PHOTO: HOAI NHIEN

There were many times when Mr. Hau and his teammates faced danger because they were threatened and assaulted by bad guys. He still remembers clearly that on the night of April 30, 2022, the team was on duty at Ba Hom intersection (Tan Tao A Ward, Binh Tan District) when they received a call reporting that more than 10 vehicles had punctured tires due to nails on National Highway 1 (through Binh Tri Dong Ward, Binh Tan District). After about 10 minutes, the first aid team arrived and patched and changed tires for 12 motorbikes for free. However, when they had just opened the tire repair kit, many strangers suddenly rushed in to threaten and assault them. Only when Mr. Quoc Han (deputy team leader) mobilized more people to help did the group of thugs leave. Not only that, many times Mr. Hau and his teammates faced bad guys staging robberies and causing accidents for people; staging a scene of needing help for bad purposes… Even so, Mr. Hau never intended to stop this job because of the danger. "I don't have the means to help others with money, but at least I have the strength and the heart. I want to use this small amount of strength to help others," Mr. Hau emotionally confused.

“A well-functioning model by the people, for the people”

Sharing with us, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nhan, Vice President of the Binh Tan District Red Cross Society, said that the members of the Binh Tan District Mobile Disaster Prevention and Response Team were established on a voluntary basis. According to Mr. Hoang Nhan, since its establishment, the team has provided free support to 2,347 cases of accidents. Of which, 955 cases provided first aid, 1,095 cases patched tires, and 297 cases replaced tires with a total value equivalent to nearly 53 VND. In addition, to maintain the team's activities, each member will contribute 100,000 VND per month to buy tools for vehicle repair. Mr. Tran Truong Son, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society, evaluated the Binh Tan District Red Cross Society as one of the units with good first aid activities in Ho Chi Minh City. "The Binh Tan District Mobile Disaster Response Team is a good model of work by the people, for the people. The team members always have a compassionate heart and love for people. They have sacrificed their time, health, and savings to buy first aid kits and vehicle repair tools, not mentioning personal gas expenses," said Mr. Truong Son.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-tu-te-o-tphcm-doi-so-cap-cuu-lang-le-ho-tro-nguoi-dan-trong-dem-185240929152641197.htm