HO CHI MINH CITY – In a sense of pride, Vietnam has managed to keep it’s COVID-19 numbers down with the ideal that all requests and responses for assistance be met with immediate assistance and medical intervention. The swiftness of the Cho Ray Hospital in the capital of Vietnam boasts such a story with the saving and recovery of one “Patient 91”.
Vietnam has seen a total of 355 cases so far, with 62 confirmed cases and 59 recoveries in Ho Chi Minh City alone. The country’s COVID-19 response is astonishing as they, to this date, hold 0 cases of deaths and have a recovery rate of 335 cases out of the initial 355.
Vietnam is currently the leading vanguard in Asia’s COVI-19 recovery with it’s dedication to stop the virus spread and end the pandemic in their own backyard.
Stephan Cameron, 42 years old, resident of Scotland and Pilot for Vietnam Airlines was a case of this due diligence in the fight against the pandemic that his case was known nation-wide and even visited by the British Consul General Ian Gibbons and the mayor of Ho Chi Minh City. The case is a mixed bag, however, as it is more a reflection of Vietnam’s will to keep the death count at 0 and not tarnish its record as opposed to saving a foreigner’s life.
The Scottish pilot was put under every possible treatment to keep him sustained, finally sustaining his breathing capacity with an ECMO machine that cost roughly $5000-$10000 a day to maintain while under it for a solid 8 weeks.
The costs would have devastated him had it not been for the good people of the hospital, the British Consul and his insurance company banding together to pay for the treatments.
“I was exhausted as I couldn’t sleep and I just thought: ‘Oh, put me under and get it sorted,” says the now-fully recovered airline pilot upon remembering his ordeal when trying to survive the virus and it’s ravages on his health. He had been under a coma for weeks prior to his recovery which put wear and tear on the country’s doctors as they raced against time to preserve his health.
Many phone calls home brought relief as his family and friends who had thought he was going to pass away overseas brought a happy note to this story as he is due to return home soon on July 12 via the same airline he worked for.
The mayor of the city was happy to tell him that he will be returned to England soon to which Stephan corrected him with “ if I get dumped in England, I won’t be too happy. I need to get home to Scotland, it’s 400 miles away” bringing levity to what could have otherwise been a tragedy to both the country’s hard work at fighting off COVID-19 and saving the life of one of it’s own visitors.
