MINSK, 21 April (BelTA) - The Belarusian Red Cross Society together with its partners continues the campaign “Medobed" (Lunch for healthcare professionals). Today hot lunches were delivered to emergency medical aid station No.4 in Minsk, BelTA has learned.
The head of the station Maria Zhdanovich noted that this is the first time when lunches have been brought to the substation. "As you can see, the staff are pleasantly surprised by such care," she said. “We always work for people. But now we can see how people assess our work by this example. It's nice to feel support. After all, it is difficult for everyone now, not only for us but for all,” she added.
The substation serves residents of the Pervomaisky District and partially Sovetsky and Partizansky districts of Minsk. Every day 21 brigades work per shift. There are also students, but they mostly work part-time at night and on weekends. “If we exclude the delivery of coronavirus patients and contacts to hospitals, then we can say that the number of emergency calls have become a bit fewer. But in general, the workload is big,” Maria Zhdanovich added.
All substation workers remain in service, they are provided with PPEs, including special suits to deliver infected patients or patients suspected of contracting COVID-19. Pediatrician Svetlana Tkachenko said that it is very difficult to work in such equipment. “You can't see anything, it's hard to breathe," she explained. "But otherwise things are not that much harder. We worked like this before the coronavirus, with the shift lasting for 24 hours or more. It is the fear for the loved ones that is new now as we do not want to bring this disease home. My husband, for example, is recovering from a heart attack. I am very worried about him,” she said.
Families are the ones who support medical workers in the first place. Although they sometimes complain that they rarely see their heroic loved ones at home. Sponsored lunches demonstrate people's attitude and care for medical workers, Svetlana Tkachenko said.
“This is not a one-time campaign. It has been on for four weeks already. This time we have focused on the emergency health service, which we have not supported yet. Its staff are also frontline workers. Lunches and drinks will be delivered to the emergency medical aid station every day within a month. The number of lunches will be adjusted to the number of workers on duty on a daily basis,” stressed the Chairwoman of Pervomaysky District Organization of the Belarus Red Cross Irina Shulgan. She hopes that this example will inspire more people to join the campaign to support medical workers.
The Medobed campaign has brought together the Belarus Red Cross Organization and various companies in a bid to help those on the front line against the coronavirus. “We deliver free hot lunches to the staff of Minsk hospitals. Six companies have already joined us. A total of 2,040 lunches have been delivered to hospitals No.4, 5, 6 and 10, the Minsk Skin and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic, emergency medical aid station No.4, the National Hospital of Medical Rehabilitation. The Minsk Skin and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Clinic received 1,000 cups of coffee,” the Belarus Red Cross said.
Thanks to sponsor aid, the Red Cross has already donated 13,200 liters of bottled water for patients and the staff of several hospitals in Minsk. Similar assistance was provided for the healthcare organizations in Vitebsk Oblast.
Photos by Ramil Nasibulin
