Nhan Dan Online- The Japanese government will provide US $75,064 to the Vietnam Red Cross Society to buy more medical equipment for the mobile medical team.

The signing ceremony was signed today between Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam Mitsuo Sakaba  and President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society Tran Ngoc Tang.

Since 2005, the Vietnam Red Cross Society has cooperated with its local chapters in sending mobile examinations teams to localities, but the program is not effectively implemented due to the shortage of equipments. This project will provide budget to purchase necessary equipments and facilities for effective activities of the above-mentioned mobile teams.

Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador SAKABA said: “I hope that with this project funded by the Government of Japan, the examinations and treatment activities in remote areas of Viet Nam will be improved. I also hope that through this project, the friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and Vietnam will be further deepened”.

According to a report delivered at the signing ceremony, Vietnam has achieved remarkable economic growths in recent years. Together with the market economy, the gap between the rich and the poor and between regions have become wider, the access to healthcare services at remote and needy areas is very difficult. Furthermore, the number of sick people in the whole country amounts to five million, and only 16.5% of them can get treatment.

Under that circumstance, the Government of Vietnam has strengthened healthcare network and improved health services for people, but cannot meet the people’s demand for examination and treatment yet, especially in remote and mountainous areas where lots of ethnic minority people are living, so their access to healthcare services is very limited.

By DT