As the largest private group in Vietnam, Vingroup is one of the enterprises that have contributed the most to the community in Vietnam, more so in tough times like now when both the economy and people are reeling from COVID-19. Vingroup has annually opened wide its coffers on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
A helping hand during the pandemic
Responding to the call from the Government, Vingroup has contributed significantly to the local healthcare sector over the past year.
Most recently, on June 4, Vingroup presented 30 coronavirus breathalyzers and related materials to serve two million breath tests with a total value of over VND460 billion to the Ministry of Health.
The breathalyzers, developed by Singapore’s Breathonix as the first producer of coronavirus breathalyzers in the world, are expected to be shipped to Vietnam from now until the end of August.
The coronavirus breathalyzers can help work out accurate testing results rapidly. The machine requires people to blow into a single-use mouthpiece and the technology assesses the chemical compounds of the breath to determine whether they are infected with COVID-19 or not.
On May 21, Vingroup sponsored four million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed to the Ministry of Health, having earlier donated VND20 billion for the research and clinical trial of a locally-produced COVID-19 vaccine, Covivac, of the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals under the Ministry of Health.
According to Vingroup, the domestic production of Covid-19 vaccines will help the country cushion the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to enter a new normal stage to resume production and business activities, and create a premise for the healthcare sector and the whole country to respond to possible pandemics in the future.
Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the funding, Do Tat Cuong, deputy general director of the Vinmec International General Hospital JSC, under Vingroup, said Vingroup had always accompanied the healthcare sector in the fight against the pandemic.
Vietnam is in dire need of COVID-19 vaccines, so Vingroup expected to help the healthcare sector take the initiative in the vaccine production, ensuring the sufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccines to the market and the national healthcare security.
Last year, Vingroup earmarked huge sums to produce thousands of ventilators as the COVID-19 outbreak threatened the lives of many people. In addition, the firm provided medical equipment and machines and coronavirus testing chemicals, as well as sponsored three research projects in a quick response to COVID-19 with a total funding of nearly VND1.3 trillion.
As of June 4, Vingroup has sponsored some VND2.3 trillion, or roughly US$100 million, for Vietnam’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Support for the poor
Additionally, the group has conducted multiple activities for the community through its Kind Heart Foundation, such as presenting more than 10,000 scholarships to poor students to help them continue going to school amid the pandemic.
Receiving the scholarship, H’Lieu Ktla, an orphaned student in Plao Sieng Village, Ea Rbin Commune, Lak District, Daklak Province, was no longer worried about hunger but happily attended her classes over the past year.
The Kind Heart Foundation has considered nurturing the dreams of disadvantaged students as its mission, which it has been carried out for nine years. Over the nine-year period, nearly 34,000 scholarships were given to disadvantaged students nationwide.
Over the past two years with multiple difficulties and challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has still expanded its programs and increased its funding for activities to help students.
In the 2020-2021 school year, the foundation presented nearly 10,100 scholarships to students, nearly double the figure in the previous school year.
Besides offering scholarships, the foundation has sponsored the building of schools. Late last month, it cooperated with the Disaster Prevention Community Fund to build eight classrooms and community facilities for natural disaster prevention and control at the Le Loi Primary School in Xuan Nam Commune, Krong No District, Dak Nong Province. These classrooms and facilities cost VND5 billion, including VND3 billion contributed by the Kind Heart Foundation and VND2 billion by the Krong No Education and Training Division.
Besides supporting poor students, the group also puts on its CSR radar those patients finding it hard to cover their health check or treatment.
Le Thi Nhung, a lupus erythematosus patient with a difficult circumstance, has been monthly supported by the Kind Heart Foundation for six years.
Not only Nhung but also nearly 1,000 other underprivileged people across the country have received the support from the foundation. Its program to support underprivileged people, including the elderly, the disabled and orphans, started in 2009.
On the occasion of the last lunar New Year holiday, the Kind Heart Foundation presented gift sets to 100,000 poor households nationwide for the 14th consecutive year.
In late October last year, the foundation also offered gift sets worth VND1 million each to thousands of residents who were seriously hit by the historic floods in Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces.
The foundation also helped local residents through the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees in these provinces. The total value of its gift sets and donations was VND13.3 billion.
Additionally, the foundation sponsored VND2.5 billion for cataract surgeries of 1,000 poor and near-poor patients in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Danang this year.
This is the second year that the Kind Heart Foundation has cooperated with the Quang Nam General Hospital and the provincial Military Command to offer free cataract surgeries for poor and near-poor residents. The program this year was expanded to Quang Ngai Province and Danang City, providing more opportunities for cataract patients.
Doctor Le Thi Ha, head of the Quang Nam General Hospital’s Ophthalmology Department, expected to offer free cataract surgeries for thousands of other patients this year.
Late last year, the Kind Heart Foundation presented 10 hemodialysis machines worth a total of nearly VND2.6 billion to the medical center of Nam Dan District, Nghe An District.
By Van Ly
