Life in a Covid-19 field hospital

HCMC’s sixth Covid-19 field hospital in Thu Duc City’s An Khanh Ward is one of 11 field hospitals the city has established within resettlement housing complexes. Three days since opening, the hospital had received 3,400 Covid-19 patients as of Wednesday.

Medics at the hospital check equipment needed for a day’s work, a task they do each morning.

Some household items sent to patients by their relatives.

Staff prepare blankets and pillows for patients.
"In addition to nutrition, Covid patients need to sleep well and take rest to quickly recover," a nurse named Hien said.

A task force delivers three meals a day to each room.

A staff takes a rest after one hour delivering food to thousands of patients. Aside from medical workers, around 100 militias have been mobilized at the hospital.

Doctors check the condition of every patient once a day. Those developing critical symptoms can call doctors via a hotline.

Doctor Nguyen Tran Anh Thu sprays disinfectant on a Covid-19 patient’s hands.
"There are too many patients and not enough medics. We understand and sympathize with everyone's discomfort during treatment and are trying our best to meet their most basic needs," said Thu.

A staff member disinfects Thu after she completes the task of checking patients.

Thu is seen drenched in sweat after removing her protective gear. She said every day she has to wear the suit six to seven hours and sometimes does not dare take any food or drink while on duty, fearing it could make her infected.
"These days, the hospital is our home and patients our loved ones. Despite the hardships, we will try our best to protect their health as well as our own," said the doctor.

Hospital staff checks the list of Covid-19 patients being treated to divide shifts. HCMC has set up 11 field hospitals in Thu Duc City, Binh Chanh District and District 12 that provide more than 30,000 beds in total.
In addition, the city has 5,000 beds at existing hospitals, with some specialized in treating severe patients.
The city is now the epicenter of Vietnam’s ongoing Covid-19 wave with over 19,400 cases.