Doctors and nurses at a hospital in a remote locality in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Phuoc have been providing complimentary treatment for many HIV/AIDS patients, despite various occupational hazards.

Located in Phu Van Commune, Bu Gia Map District, Nhan Ai Hospital, under the management of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, is home to nearly 300 people living with HIV/AIDS.

The patients, who are in all stages of the disease, have been receiving care and treatment from doctors and nurses at the infirmary without having to pay anything in return.

Aside from supplying medical services to the patients, the clinicians also offer assistance when it comes to personal hygiene, haircuts and massage, food, and others for their patients.

Since 2008, a total of 25 employees have been exposed to HIV at the hospital due to various incidents while providing treatment and care for the sick, Nguyen Hoang Long, Nhan Ai director, said.

“I have not met any doctor and nurse with such kindness. They take care of me, replace my bed sheets at one or two o’clock in the morning. They also buy me whatever food I wish to eat,” said an HIV patient who is being treated at the infirmary.

The practitioners always display affection, provide motivation and encouragement, and treat their patients like their own family members, he continued.

“If I have to die, I would die a happy man,” the patient added.