The enthusiastic boys and girls of the SOS75 Hue Zero-dong Team brought many poor patients back to their hometowns on hundreds of free trips.
In front of the gate of Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, for nearly 3 years now, there have appeared special ambulances of the SOS75 Hue Zero-dong Team, founded and led by Nguyen Ngoc Nhat Hoang, 28 years old. As the name suggests, the Team's trips provide free services to poor patients returning to their hometowns, many of which are also their last trips after long days of fighting illness.
More than 800 loving trips
Nhat Hoang said he has been passionate about charity work since he was a child, and he wants to contribute more to society. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoang witnessed a child from an ethnic minority pass away in the hospital, but because his family was too poor, they could not afford to rent a car to take him home for burial. Hoang appealed to philanthropists on social media and helped him get the last bus home. From then on, Hoang nurtured the idea of establishing a free car team to help poor patients.
The team regularly provides necessities to lonely elderly people. Photo: NVCC
After a period of campaigning, Hoang was supported by a benefactor with an 8-seat car equipped with a medical bed inside. Hoang and 22 volunteers established the 0 Dong Car Team on June 15, 2022 and started making good trips. As the head of the Skills - Travel Club, Hoang and the members have equipped themselves with medical knowledge, first aid and rescue skills as well as psychological skills when participating in transporting patients, encouraging them in life-and-death moments.
Nhat Hoang received a certificate of merit from the Vietnam Youth Union 2024 on behalf of the team.
"Up to now, the team has transported more than 800 patients from hospitals to their hometowns nationwide, free of charge, helping to reduce financial pressure on poor families. From patients near and far away such as in Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Hanoi, Hai Phong... who can help, the team is ready to accept the task" - Hoang said.
The Happiness of Zero
To help the team operate professionally and effectively, Hoang divided the team into smaller teams such as the 24/7 Rescue Team, which includes members who are highly trained in emergency handling and safe transportation skills; the Humanitarian Support Team, which is in charge of transporting patients in need, supporting free burials and disaster relief; while the Communications and Fundraising Team focuses on conveying messages, connecting the community and finding support sources.
The 24/7 rescue team is the core, participating in rescuing motorbikes in traffic accidents at night in Hue City, participating in bringing poor patients back to their hometowns and operating as its name suggests 24/7 - anytime, anywhere. At the same time, the team also participates in rescuing flood areas and burying poor patients who have passed away. Currently, the team has 2 hotline numbers including ambulance 077 242 3434 and rescue - rescue 0775 577 775. "The team has helped and rescued motorbikes in traffic accidents at night in Hue City with more than 1,000 cases, ensuring safety for people when participating in traffic. Giving more than 10,000 meals to patients being treated at Hue Central Hospital, supporting the burial of more than 20 families in difficult circumstances, helping them overcome the period of loss more gently" - Hoang said.
In particular, the team is also implementing the Raising Children project - helping students in especially difficult circumstances with 1.5 to 3 million VND/month each until they graduate from university. The team also organizes cooking and distributing food every week to patients and poor workers in front of some hospitals. In addition, the team has developed flood rescue skills such as using canoes, swimming, disease prevention, etc. Therefore, during times of major floods in many provinces and cities, the team has participated in rescue support in northern provinces and cities such as Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ninh Binh, Hanoi, Bac Giang, Tuyen Quang with more than 45 tons of relief goods, including necessities and food. Giving more than 5 tons of food and food to support people in Quang Binh during the flood after Typhoon Yagi.
In particular, the team coordinated with the local authorities of Le Thuy district to rescue more than 10 victims from the severely flooded and completely isolated area in October 2024. "In 2022, the team participated in flood relief for the first time in Nghe An and Quang Ngai and supported people with more than 300 million VND, through which the members learned a lot of rescue experience" - Hoang said. In addition, the team also implemented the "Zero VND Journey" program to mobilize and give 400 gifts, plant 300 trees and build 15 km of Thanh Nien Hai Phong street lighting, support to overcome the consequences of storm Yagi, helping people quickly stabilize their lives.
Mr. Huynh Van Cau, a resident of Hue City, shared: "Whenever a family in need needs an ambulance, the team will come to help for free, regardless of day or night, rain or shine. The poor in Hue City love the team very much and consider them a support in times of trouble."
Professional - effective - humane
According to Nhat Hoang, the Hue City Zero-cost Team model has been shared and replicated in several other localities, motivating the community to volunteer and contribute to the humanitarian support movement in the Central region. In the future, Hoang plans to actively develop volunteer teams in neighboring provinces, providing in-depth training in rescue and relief.
"The team will strengthen cooperation with social organizations and local authorities to develop sustainable community relief and support programs, contributing to building a more comprehensive and humane society," Hoang said. To make rescue work more professional and effective, the team determined that it is necessary to upgrade and invest in additional rescue vehicles such as ambulances, canoes and necessary medical equipment, and open training courses on survival skills and disaster prevention in the community.
In addition, the team will organize communication campaigns, share real stories from rescue activities to encourage community participation and support; focus on developing innovative initiatives, applying green energy and environmentally friendly solutions in rescue activities.
Ms. Ngoc Anh, a member of the SOS75 Zero-VND Team in Hue City, shared: "Four years ago, my relative contracted COVID-19 and the team came to provide oxygen and then took him to the quarantine area. I really admire the volunteer spirit of the team, so I joined and wanted to contribute my youth to help the poor. I have now been equipped with many survival skills and professional and safe rescue methods to be able to effectively help people in distress."
"In particular, the team will focus on supporting people in mountainous, remote and border areas.
Last birthday
SOS75 Hue zero-dong team has supported over 800 free trips to help poor patients.
During more than 800 trips to bring poor patients back to their hometowns, Hoang and his team could not forget the case of a child in Quang Binh who had a serious illness and could not be treated. The team brought him home from Hue Central Hospital on his birthday. His family and the team held a birthday party for him for the last time. His eyes were weak, his smile was not formed, his body was pale and thin, and his hands had also died from the disease. No one could hold back their tears at that birthday party. A few days later, his family informed him that he had passed away.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/nghia-tinh-tren-nhung-chuyen-xe-0-dong-196250221212401848.htm
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