Dr. Nguyen Xuan Diep and Dr. Dinh Hoang Mai Anh are one of 96 married couples working at the Uong Bi Vietnam-Sweden hospital in Quang Ninh province. The newly-wed couple had made plans for their honeymoon but had to cancel them because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, they joined some of their colleagues to go to Bac Giang to help fight the latest COVID-19 outbreaks. Dr. Dinh Hoang Mai Anh says their days in Bac Giang have been an unforgettable experience for her and her husband. She says it was a special honeymoon. 

'Spending our honeymoon in the epicenter was unique, who else has had such an experience. As medical workers, we are ready to sacrifice our own time. It didn’t matter where we spent our honeymoon, as long as we could be together. We’re happy,' said Anh.

With many clusters of infection detected in industrial parks, Bac Giang soon became a hot spot that requires an emergency response. Doctor Nguyen Xuan Diep told us his workload is so heavy that he sometimes has to work until 2 or 3 am. They get tired, he said, but encourage each other to fulfill their duty.

Diep said, 'It’s rare for medical workers to have a day off. We also have to work on weekends and holidays. That’s our responsibility, our job. We consider working in the pandemic epicenter an obligation.'

Despite brutally hot weather, the pressure of too many patients, and stressful working conditions, the medical workers do their best and are inspired by family love.

Nurse Nguyen Thanh Tam of the Uong Bi Vietnam-Sweden hospital said, 'Love from family and the community is a great source of encouragement for us. My children call me and encourage me a lot. The oldest one told me that she’ll do her best to pass her exam.'

Roasting in hot protective suits, their faces and hands dripping sweat, these “white-collar soldiers” do their best to fulfill their duty, sustained primarily by the love of their family, their community, and their colleagues.