Many college students volunteered to take care of patients at a hospital in a major city of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, a collective action that those in medical care greeted with gratitude.

Over the past month, more than 200 students from the School of Social Sciences and Humanities under Can Tho University in Can Tho City, took turns in walking in small groups to different areas of a local hospital in the hope of lending a helping hand.

With basic training in medical care, they came to sickbeds, assisting patients in taking medicine, dabbing forehead sweat of those with fever, and engaging them in friendly conversations.

The students also helped patients’ family members handle procedural documents for medical treatment at the infirmary, the Can Tho Oncology Hospital, which could be very confusing to people first visiting the facility.

A student shows a woman how to fill in a form at the Can Tho Oncology Hospital in Can Tho City, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The benefits from the effort were heart-warming to both the receivers and givers.

“I was very happy to be helped by the students in recent days,” said Tran Van Hoai, a 65-year-old patient.

“Their thoughtfulness in helping me take medicine and feeding me has worked a lot for my illness.”

One of the students joining the activity, Diep Chi Cuong, said tending patients here gave him valuable experiences about life in general.

“However busy I was with schoolwork, I tried to come here to talk with the patients. They are as old as my parents, so I willingly help them whenever possible,” said another participant, Pham Hai Dang.

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