The launching ceremony was attended and chaired by Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Phuoc Loc.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Phuoc Loc recalled the directive delivered by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam at the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day. The Party leader emphasized that protecting, caring for, and improving public health is not only the responsibility of the healthcare sector but also a shared duty of every citizen, the entire political system, and society as a whole. To build a modern, equitable, and efficient healthcare system, he said, active participation is required from Party committees, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, mass organizations, and all relevant sectors, with the healthcare sector playing the central role.
In line with Politburo Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW on breakthrough measures to strengthen the protection, care, and improvement of public health, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and the municipal People's Committee have developed a life-cycle healthcare program that provides continuous care for residents, including children.
Statistics show that Ho Chi Minh City receives around one million pediatric outpatient visits each year, including approximately 1,000 children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Families of these children often face immense financial and emotional hardship. Timely support can help sustain treatment while providing hope and encouragement to both young patients and their families.
Against this backdrop, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, together with the city's Social Security Fund Management Council, has launched the “Accompanying and Caring for Children with Serious Illnesses” program to mobilize social resources and support children with treatment expenses, educational opportunities, and other essential needs.
In its initial phase, the program will be implemented at five hospitals, including Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, City Children's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, and Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital. It will subsequently be expanded to Tu Du Hospital and other healthcare facilities across the city.
To ensure the “Accompanying and Caring for Children with Serious Illnesses” program delivers lasting and meaningful impact, Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Phuoc Loc urged the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to work closely with its member organizations, government departments, agencies, and mass organizations to mobilize comprehensive resources and provide practical support. Hospitals were instructed to ensure that all assistance is delivered to the right beneficiaries for the intended purposes in a transparent and accountable manner. He also directed the authorities of the city's 168 wards, communes, and special zones to promptly review and compile lists of children with life-threatening illnesses so they can be connected to the program.
On the occasion, the organizing committee presented 170 gifts to pediatric patients with life-threatening illnesses at Children's Hospital 1. It also received more than VND3 billion in donations from organizations, businesses, and philanthropists in support of the program.
