Cho Ray Hospital staff received free haircuts on Friday and Saturday, providing much needed comfort to their workdays even as coronavirus concerns rose in HCMC. 

More than 400 doctors, nurses and other medical workers of the

Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC's District 5 had free haircuts on the

weekend as a cooperation initiative between the hospital and the

municipal Women's Cultural House.

Since hair salons across the city have had to close down amidst

the social distancing campaign, hospital staff, particularly

doctors, have suffered the inconvenience of long hair while

spending entire days inside protective suits.

The hospital staff sat 1.5 meters apart while waiting for their

turn. All those who have had their haircut were tested for Covid-

19 the same day and received vaccination shots as well. So far,

the test results have been negative.

"It had been over two months since I went to a hair salon and the

social distancing happened. The long hair felt too restrictive and

hot inside the protective suits, making me sweat buckets," said

Nguyen Thi Phuong, a doctor at the hospital.

Eight hairdressers volunteered to provide free haircuts. They too

tested negative for the coronavirus.

"When all of Saigon is fighting the pandemic, we too want to

contribute our mite. We hope that with a clean and beautiful

haircut, doctors will have an easier time at work," said Lan Anh,

one of the hairdressers.

A doctor takes a selfie while getting her haircut. Each haircut

took about an hour.

"I am very satisfied with my new haircut. Looks much neater

and I look younger. A few days ago, I planned to ask a relative

to cut it, but the hospital managed to invite the hairdressers

first," said doctor Trung.

The hair-cutting sessions lasted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both

days with about 200 people getting their haircut each day.

HCMC has recorded 5,654 local Covid-19 cases so far in

Vietnam's latest coronavirus wave that began late April, a close

second behind Bac Giang’s 5,710 cases.