Hanoi, December 22nd, 2020, on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of Vietnamese People’s Army (22/12/1944 – 22/12/2020) and the 31st anniversary of the Whole-people Defense Festival (22/12/1989 – 22/12/2020), Vietnam Air Catering Services Company (VINACS) had its great honor to receive Vietnam Health Minister’s Merit Certificate for its significant contributions to the prevention against Covid-19.
Covid-19 epidemic started from December 2019 in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China, is continuing its spread across most of nations and territories, including Vietnam, that direct threat to human’s health and life and to each country’s safeness and developments. Covid-19 occurred during year-end and new year moment, the moment when many Asian countries, including Vietnam and China preparing for traditional Tet holidays. While people eagerly celebrating the New Year, VINACS managers and staff still had no time for rest in the complicated situation of the epidemic both domestic and international. With proactive spirits, the whole system of VINACS engaged drastically into Covid-19 preventions right from the start.
Regarding epidemic preventions at VINACS:
To protect employees’ health and to avoid coronavirus in catering services, since January 22nd, 2020 when the Government officially published the appearance of Covid-19, implementing the Prime Minister’s instruction with the spirit “Fighting the disease like fighting enemies”, VINACS created response plans in time, immediately enacted and implemented instructions to the epidemic prevention, warning the whole system about the risks of the epidemics, concurrently, enhancing awareness, agreement and consolidation across the entire organization, from leaderships to employees, requiring all VINACS staff at both factories Noi Bai, Cam Ranh and Cat Bi, Phu Quoc branches, being seriously and strictly during implementation; in the case of experiencing some symptoms, they would be immediately taken to hospital for isolation and prompt treatment; concurrently, advising employees actively to prevent epidemics when outside by: wearing mask, avoiding unnecessary crowded places, preserving personal hygiene, eating adequate nutrition to enhance immune system. All of VINACS staff and visitors going in and out of the company were instructed to wear face mask, body temperature checked and to sterilize hands. All of VINACS staff, before schedule to move out of Hanoi area, had to report for approval and decleare health status, travel itinerary upon returning. All guests were instructed to perform health declaration, travel history, personal contact history to promptly detect, quarantine and handle.
In order to prevent, destroy pathogen pervasion and ensure safeness to the system and society; all of VINACS staff when implementing onload and offload services for the flights from abroad and from epidemic areas, are absolutely required to equip with disposable protective clothing; all vehicles, tools and containers from the offload flights were disinfected with spray, isolated for at least 120 minutes before the next touch.
Besides, series of preventive measures were applied as: reviewing all sources of goods and materials, only importing goods and materials from safe area with food safety and hygiene documents and certificates; UV sterilizing and isolating at the gate to all of letters, cocuments transactions, cash,… from outside source before staff’s touching; enhancing disinfection and cleanliness of the whole factory, equipment, facilities; disinfecting door handles, evaluator buttons every two hours; warning and requiring all suppliers to implement and prove preventive measures at their bases,… All updated information relating to Covid-19 status domestic and international, all instructions from the Prime Minister and National Directing Committee for Prevention and Control of Covid-19 were updated and widespread published to all of VINACS staff timely.
Regarding supporting actions for preventions and communication for preventing Covid-19:
With the spirit “Fighting diseases like fighting enemies”, the National Directing Committee for Prevention and Control of Covid-19, the People’s Committee of Ha Noi City, the Ministry of Health and the Capital High Command Department decided to select VINACS as an accompany to prepare and provide meals and drinks to Covid-19 quarantine centers of Ha Noi, including Phap Van- Tu Hiep, Nam Tu Liem, Noi Bai.
Covid-19 disease had continully complicated development. Within domestic did appear Covid-19 infected patients, did appear infected cases in community, did arise potential dangerous pestholes if without controll promptly, even at the places where stringent epidemic prevention and high standard hygiene requirements are applied. The whole country abided the Prime Minister’s directives to implement the first social distancing from 0:00am April 1st, 2020 for 14 days; hospitals: Bach Mai hospital – the largest hospital in Vietnam implemented 14 days quarantine started from March 28th, 2020; Hanoi Nephrology Hospital implemented 14 days quarantine started from April 10th, 2020 after detecting Covid-19 infection cases in the hospitals. Once again, in the perilous situation of the incurable pandemic and social distancing; VINACS was assigned by Ministry of Health, Medical Services Administration, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Nephrology Hospital, Hanoi University Medical hospital, … as a reliable accompany to provide meals and drinks to hospital system including doctors, nurses, medical officers, in-patients and patient’s relatives.
Beautiful and Meaningful activities:
In Vietnam, when cases related to Covid-19 showing positive result that raising anxiety in the community, many people flowed to buy medical masks, hand sanitizers, stocked up essential items and food. Taking advantages of that situation, many individuals spreaded fake news in order to confuse the community and to create mental crisis in purchase; many individuals, organizations speculated, increased price for rent-seeking and had unethical behaviour. Beside the tension and anxiety of the entire society regarding to the risk, at VINACS the whole managers and staff have been working day and night for the disease prevention, promptly providing 3-6 meals a day to quarantine centers, hospitals and the Government offices and departments with over 10.000 meals a day. Right at the “storm-centre” of the epidemic, there still seeing the image of “Warriors” with VINACS logo uniform inside tightly closed protective clothing, ready to confront with the epidemic, sacrifying self- benefit, temporarily ignore relationships and happiness, and time of being with family during New year festival to fight on duty with hot and fresh delicious meals brought up to each room, each bed of quarantine center and hospitals to take care of people’ health and wellbeing.
Hanoi and the whole country in a difficult days and months when all of political system and people together preventing epidemic; when the entire Party, People, Government, Ministries, Health systems, Military,… spending efforts to establish preventative plans and implementation to localize the epidemic, VINACS has been also in tune with urgent circumstances, providing meals and drinks to Ministry of Health Office to ensure the Ministry system operating smoothly, to quarantine centers, to Vietnam Television (VTV) with the series “ Unforgettable days” in order to communicate on prevention of Covid-19 epidemic. Besides, with spirit of supportively joining hands to fight the decease, VINACS and its holding company TASECO sponsored over 50.000 meals to quarantine areas, and over 5.000 meals to Hanoi Nephrology Hospital, Ministry of Health Office and VTV, sponsored free face masks, medical gloves… to many crew and passengers on flights of many airlines for the epidemic prevention during the scene of very unstable medical equipment’s market for Covid-19.
The silent tasks of “VINACS soldiers” at the rear and the frontline of epidemic battle that leaving everyone’s feeling of love and respect and concurrently contributive spread the unselfishness, the kindness across the community. Each of small and beautiful activities and images from each of VINACS staff multipling time by time, has been transmitting through individuals at quarantine area, hospitals and communications media, delivering humankind and kind messages to light up hope for Covid-19 infected patients that stressing to Vietnamese kindness tradition. Thanks to Ministry of Health’s regulations and VINACS ‘s stringent abidance, over 9 months of serving medical centers, quarantine areas and services for airlines from oversea and flights from/to the epidemic areas, 100% VINACS staff have been absolutely safe throughout their servicing work.
From such hand-join contributions to the Political System in Covid-19 Prevention actions, VINACS received letter of thanks from Ministry of Health, Medical Services Administration, Vietnam National Television (VTV), Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Nephrology Hospital, Hanoi University Medical Hospital, airlines and VINACS was awarded Merit Certificate for its significant contributions to the prevention against Covid-19. In addition, in these days end of 2020 and beginning of Spring 2021, VINACS has been trusted to sign catering contract by two new airlines: Vietravel Airlines and Hai Au Aviation; increasing the total number of customers of VINACS to 35 customers, including the big airlines from both domestic and international: Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, China Sourthern Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Philipine Airlines, Vietjet Air …
By now, Covid-19 pedamic in domestic is being under well control, many positive tested patients have been treated, recovered and come back to their normal lives, Covid vaccine has been also approved and implemented to many places in the world. Those happy signs are considered as an effective “spiritual dose” to assure people’s mind and help VINACS staff are relieved to work. However, VINACS whole system always keep a non-subjective attitude and being proactive to promptly respond to bad situations that may occurs. In difficult situation, it is also considered as a challenges to the ability of management and problem solving of VINACS managers as well as the test to the bravery, attitude of VINACS employees. When hearts are in a tune, people together to overcome difficulties, spread humanity and build up kindness, surely the epidemic will be pushed back, our country will continue growing up, “Grow fast, grow strong, grow proper” and VINACS believe in our bright future ahead.
