At least one million poor and disadvantaged people who have difficulty in accessing medical services in remote areas are being given free medical check-ups and treatment during a campaign on humanitarian medical care for communities in 2014. The campaign, running from September this year until February next year, is the result of a coordinated effort between several relevant agencies, including the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC), the Ministry of Health (MoH), the General Political Department under the Vietnamese People’s Army and the Vietnamese Young Doctors’ Association. The organizing committee aims to mobilize the participation of the whole society in humanitarian medical check-ups and treatment, contributing to giving healthcare to poor families and beneficiaries, especially those in remote, border and island areas. In addition, the organizers are providing consultancy and basic health care training on the prevention of diseases, management of injuries as well as basic first-aid, personal and environmental hygiene, and response to natural disasters. Other humanitarian activities, including giving presents, charitable houses, granting cows and medical insurance cards, will also be held. In particular, with its participation in the program, staff and volunteers from Prudential Insurance Company is striving to donate 5,000 units of blood, give free medicine to 7,000 poor people, support part of the medical treatment fees for poor patients contracting serious illness in provincial hospitals, and contribute 1,600 free meals for disadvantaged patients at hospitals. During a press briefing introducing the campaign held on October 30, the organizing committee said that the campaign would be launched on November 2 in Hanoi with the participation of 2,000 doctors, nurses and Red Cross staff, members and volunteers. This is the first time the campaign of its kind is being held to benefit poor communities, especially those in remote, border and island districts. (Dangcongsan.vn Oct 31)
