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The Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City with participation of Consulate General of India, Ho Chi Minh City; Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (INCHAM) organized a virtual event on 20th August, 2021 to accept the donation of an ECMO Machine to Tropical Diseases Hospital, HCMC.
During the ceremony, Dr. Madan Mohan Sethi, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City reinforced India’s support and said that the Government and the people of India along with the Indian expats in Ho Chi Minh City would like to express their solidarity to the Vietnamese people and the Ho Chi Minh City Government in the time of Covid crisis which the city is currently in.
Dr. Sethi further announced that India Government will also be providing 300 oxygen concentrators of 10 LPM capacity each, and 100 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) which will reach Ho Chi Minh City through an Indian Navy Ship towards the end of this month. The Consul General also said that the Indian Consulate is offering various training courses to train 200 doctors and nurses in Ho Chi Minh City, and around 300 doctors and nurses in other provinces in Southern Vietnam.
In response, Mme. To Thi Bich Chau, Chairwoman of Fatherland Front Committee, HCMC expressed happiness over the donation and also appreciated the success of the Government and people of India in controlling the 2nd wave of Covid-19 epidemic. Expressing gratitude over the relief material being sent by Indian Government, Mme. Chau said that it is very meaningful and humane support of the Government of India to support the Government and people of Vietnam in coping with the complicated pandemic. She hoped that this will lead to more cooperation in other fields including healthcare, pharmaceutical, etc. and also requested the Consul General to help Ho Chi Minh City access vaccines and medicines for Covid-19 treatment made in India.
Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau (Ph.D), Director General of Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital highly appreciated the Indian Consulate and the Indian Community for their gift of an ECMO machine and also stated that the modern machine will support the hospital’s doctors in the treatment of severe Covid-19 patients.
The ECMO Machine was purchased with a fund of US$145,000 mobilised by the Indian Community based in HCMC and other Southern Provinces of Vietnam with the support of the Indian Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and INCHAM. The machine is tentatively scheduled to arrive in HCMC this November from Germany.
Mr. Manoj Barthwal, Chairman, INCHAM said that in this difficult time, Indian Community, as a whole has come together under INCHAM and has supported not only for the purchase of an ECMO machine worth 3.5 billion VND but has also offered cash donations of 200 million VND & 2.5 tonnes of rice to the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Ho Chi Minh City. He further mentioned that the community has joined hands with local volunteers and is supporting the high-risk areas with supplies of basic needs, like food & vegetables, hand sanitizers, masks, PPE kits and some beddings. Reinforcing Consul General Dr. Sethi’s statement of India’s support to Vietnam, Mr. Barthwal affirmed that the Indian community living in Vietnam is committed to help this country which has given them employment and opportunity to earn the living and they consider it their duty to pay back and take care of fellow countrymen during these tough times..
A representative of the Indian donors working in Southern Vietnam provinces, Mr. Vaibhav Bhanchawat, Executive Vice President and Business Head of Marico SEA said that ‘At Marico, we are guided by our purpose
“MAKE A DIFFERENCE” and it’s our endeavor to work with the communities around us and provide support that’s possible as an organization”. Mr. Banchawat believes his company’s small step will help make a difference to some lives.
The virtual ceremony was also attended by the Board of Governors of INCHAM and co-sponsors from the Indian Community. India and Vietnam share very strong historical and friendly relationship and has always supported each other in needy situations. The fourth wave of Covid-19 has created a bad situation in HCMC and put immense pressure on the available medical infrastructure. Installation of such an important machine will help in treatment of severe Covid cases by the expert doctors.
Investment Promotion Center – South Vietnam
Department of Information and Documentation