That companionship not only helps them reduce the burden of costs but also adds a spiritual support, helping them overcome the most fragile moments.
Sharing the burden, adding faith to patients
According to MSc Pham Thi Nguyet Quyen, Head of the Social Work Department, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, in the past year, the unit has directly and indirectly supported 1,775 patients in particularly difficult circumstances, being treated in key departments such as Pediatrics, Emergency, Hepatobiliary Surgery, Intensive Care, Hepatitis...
The total value of cash, in-kind and indirect support is estimated at 1,7111.5 million VND. This is a resource mobilized from the joint efforts of organizations, businesses, and philanthropists inside and outside the hospital, as well as the persistent and continuous connection of the social work staff.
Not only stopping at financial support, the Social Work Department also maintains many humane and long-term activities such as connecting 0-dong bus trips, providing nearly 14,000 loving porridge portions. These silent actions contribute to sharing living and travel expenses for patients and their families throughout the treatment process.
Understanding the hardship of family members when having to be on duty to take care of patients for many days, especially in the Intensive Care and Emergency departments, the Social Work Department has arranged about 80 free temporary beds. Although it is just a simple resting place, it is a precious "moment of silence" for family members to have more strength to continue accompanying patients.
Just need family members to rest a little, they will have more health to take better care of patients. Therefore, to ensure that family members of patients have a clean, neat and safe resting place, hygiene and epidemic prevention in this area are of particular concern to the hospital. The resting space is cleaned daily, and disinfection is sprayed periodically every week to limit insects and reduce the risk of disease infection," Ms. Pham Thi Viet Anh, Social Work Department, Central Tropical Diseases Hospital shared.
According to MSc Pham Thi Nguyet Quyen, many patients also face great psychological pressure when being treated for a long time, away from family, worried about illness and the burden of making a living. Therefore, in addition to material support, the Social Work Department pays special attention to spiritual and psychological - social support through visits, listening, and timely encouragement, helping patients not feel lonely on the treatment journey.
For cases with particularly difficult circumstances or at risk of interrupted treatment, the Social Work Department will deploy emergency support, while connecting appropriate social resources, not only to solve immediate problems but also to contribute to stabilizing the spirit, helping patients have more faith and willpower.
These support activities are all organized according to strict and transparent procedures, with coordination between clinical departments and the Social Work Department: From receiving information, assessing circumstances, determining support needs both materially and spiritually, connecting resources, providing support to monitoring and evaluating results.
We aim to support the right people, the right needs and at the right time, so that each help not only helps patients overcome immediate difficulties but also adds spiritual strength throughout the treatment process," MSc Pham Thi Nguyet Quyen shared.
Supporting newborns to overcome disease
In the past year, Hanoi Children's Hospital has received and treated many pediatric patients in particularly difficult circumstances, including some children who were only a few days or months old and had to fight for their lives.
Understanding the pain and burden of the patient's family, the Social Work Group has implemented many programs to support patients in particularly difficult circumstances suitable to practical needs such as: supporting inpatient treatment costs; supporting free meals from hospital cafeterias, milk, diapers and household items; connecting surgery sponsorship programs through funds of fund organizations at home and abroad; connecting philanthropists, businesses, and charity funds to give gifts to support patients.
In addition, the hospital also connects with press agencies, calling for support for many pediatric patients.
Mr. Duong Thanh Nam (Doai Phuong commune, Hanoi City), whose child was treated at the Intensive Care - Poison Control Department, Hanoi Children's Hospital. When admitted to the hospital, his child was in critical condition with a diagnosis of septic shock, multiple organ failure, severe pulmonary hypertension, severe pneumonia, hypertrophic myocardial disease accompanied by malnutrition and was monitored for metabolic disorders. Doctors assessed this to be a severe case, with complicated developments and requiring a long treatment process.
Meanwhile, the family is in particularly difficult circumstances, Mr. Nam works as a general laborer with unstable income, his wife does not have a stable job and has to be on duty to take care of her child at the hospital, treatment costs exceed their ability to pay.
Through the connection of the hospital, readers of Lao Dong Newspaper joined hands and supported the child patient with more than 12 million VND, this cost has contributed to helping the family alleviate difficulties and add conditions for the child to continue treatment.
That is just one of many cases of difficult pediatric patients receiving support and help. On holidays and Tet, the Social Work Department always focuses on organizing spiritual programs for pediatric patients such as: Giving Tet gifts, giving lucky money at the beginning of the year, organizing entertainment activities, visiting and encouraging children who are hospitalized during Tet. These activities contribute to bringing a warm atmosphere to the hospital, helping children and their families reduce the feeling of disadvantage when having to celebrate Tet away from home.
During the Binh Ngo Lunar New Year 2026, the hospital's Social Work Group also organized a new activity, the 0 VND booth, to support families of sick children in difficult circumstances.
Sharing about her work, Ms. Pham Thi Thao - Head of the Social Work Group said that the team of officials regularly faces circumstances that cannot help but move them. Those are children with dangerous diseases, families in remote areas, parents have to sell assets, borrow money to treat their children.
There are families who are exhausted both economically and mentally but still cling to it every day for their children's lives. These stories become the motivation for social workers to constantly strive to connect and find more support for patients.
The biggest difficulty is the great need for support from patients while socialized resources are still limited. Besides, the psychological pressure when regularly exposed to difficult circumstances and serious illnesses is also a challenge for social workers.
However, witnessing the recovery of the child and the joy of the family when receiving help is the motivation for us to continue to stick with the profession," Ms. Thao shared.
The social work profession in hospitals is not flashy, does not directly hold a scalpel or prescribe medicine, but silently plays an indispensable role, which is the connection of love, sharing burdens and igniting hope for people who are at the fragile border between life and death. It is a quiet but persistent journey, where each act of kindness contributes to keeping life and spreading faith in goodness.
