For several weeks now, medical institutions and doctors have been working non-stop, saving hundreds of lives every day. In such a difficult time, ordinary residents of the city provide them with support.
Provide oxygen and medications
Aktobe turned out to be unprepared for such a sharp increase in the number of patients. It was especially difficult in the early days of the virus outbreak: hospitals were filled with patients, there was an acute shortage of beds and equipment. Then caring townspeople came to the aid of medical workers.
- We threw all our efforts to support the doctors. The biggest problem today is the lack of oxygen supply. Thanks to the head of the company "Bal YUN" Igor Stepanenko, oxygen concentrators were purchased in two provisional hospitals. Oxygen pillows were purchased and distributed to hospitals twice. We order and deliver everything from Russia, '' says Yekaterina Golotina, a volunteer of the Anticovid-19 movement.
Reducers for oxygen cylinders were also donated: some of them were bought with funds raised by the people, some were donated by ordinary citizens. They were taken not only to city institutions, but also to the Kobdinskiy regional hospital. We purchased 100 meters of a hose for supplying oxygen to the intensive care unit. At the request of the doctors, we bought vessels for the Bobrov apparatus, which are used to humidify pure oxygen, as well as to suck air in case of pneumothorax or fluid from the pleural cavity.
— Если врачи и заведующие отделениями обращаются к нам за помощью в обеспечении кислородом, то жители города — в поиске и приобретении лекарств. Бесплатно раздаем необходимые лекарственные препараты малоимущим и малообеспеченным семьям, — делится активистка.
Медикаментами городу помог и парень с активной гражданской позицией Аслан Душпанов. Он обратился через социальные сети к землякам с инициативой открыть сбор на покупку лекарств. И уже за несколько дней был собран миллион тенге. Препараты он заказал в соседнем государстве, а по их прибытии распределил в восемь городских больниц.
— Видя сложившуюся критическую ситуацию, я не мог остаться в стороне. Мы не должны каждый день терять своих родных и знакомых только потому, что нет лекарств. Я предложил, а земляки поддержали, сразу же отозвались. Пусть поскорее все пациенты выздоравливают, врачи вернутся в привычный режим работы, а мы заживем обычной жизнью, — говорит молодой человек.
Prepare lunches and dinners
Help is not limited to buying medicines and equipment. Volunteers daily deliver hot meals to provisional hospitals located at the railway hospital, tuberculosis clinic, Chaika sanatorium, day hospitals at city polyclinics No. 3 and 6, and an ambulance station.
Dozens of city cafes, restaurants, chefs and cooks prepare food free of charge. Ordinary citizens did not stand aside either.
Thus, residents of house No. 96/1 on Turgenev Street volunteered to feed the doctors.
- Once I was walking with my daughter in the yard and met my neighbor Rumia Mamkeeva. She offered to cheer up the doctors by preparing something delicious for them. I liked the idea. We wrote in a common house chat in WhatsApp "Neighbors at home 96/1". Within three days, they raised about 30,000 tenge, ”says Olga Gallemova, a resident of the sympathetic home.
Их идею поддержал владелец кафе «Троя», предоставив бесплатно горячее питание для медиков. Жильцы закупили фрукты, салфетки, молоко, сгущенку, чай. Также каждый от себя добавил, что мог: кто выпечку, кто сладости. Большую посылку передали в больницы и добровольцам.
Вкусные обеды, компоты готовит и мама двух деток Елена. Несмотря на то, что каждое движение ей дается с трудом, — она инвалид первой группы и уже седьмой год передвигается на коляске.
- I know what disease is. I sincerely sympathize with the sick and the doctors who do not leave hospitals for days, ”says Elena. - I cry after every post about the good deeds of our people. It is impossible not to be infected with this kindness. So I also wanted to do something good. I decided to help with hot meals.
The public foundation "SHANIRAQ Aqtobe" also did not stand aside. Its employees treat the workers of the Aktobe Medical Center, bring them 150 lunches and 100 dinners daily.
- This is our way of expressing gratitude to the heroic doctors. Of course, everything became possible with the support of sponsors, suppliers and ordinary citizens. We will carry hot meals until the end of July. Perhaps, we will continue further, if funds allow, ”says Amirkhan Imanalin, a fund representative.
Unload the cylinders
And the support of Aktobe residents does not end there. Every day male volunteers work in the sweat of their brow, unloading beds, mattresses, oxygen tanks in hospitals.
They helped to transport 250 beds and mattresses when the dispensary dispensary opened a dispensary center. They also transported and installed multifunctional beds there to expand the intensive care unit.
In addition, every day, at the first call of the staff of the provisional hospitals, they go to load empty oxygen cylinders into cars and unload the filled ones. Volunteers also helped procure ventilator adapters and hoses. Now they want to repair the old reducers so that there are more oxygen tanks.
The other day, the guys built equipment in the dispensary center that supplies oxygen to the bed of each patient. An uncomplicated home-made design allows you to cover more people in need with oxygen, which means saving lives and simplifying doctors' hard work.
- Every day we visit different hospitals in the city, we see how medical workers work day and night, how there are not enough workers. We try to lighten their burden and save as many lives as possible. We want to make our contribution to the recovery of our fellow countrymen, - says volunteer Bakhytkali Urazgaliev.
He is an entrepreneur who rented vehicles. But today he devotes every free minute to helping doctors.