Every baby deserves a healthy start in life. However, in remote areas like Bac Ai district, Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam, the lives of newborns face numerous challenges.
The Bac Ai District Health Center was established in 2010 and is responsible for providing medical care to nearly 30,000 people, with 95% of them being Raglai ethnic minority. Due to the lack of essential medical equipment, the health center has not been able to fully utilize its medical capacity, despite having sufficient staff for Obstetrics, Pediatrics, and Emergency care. According to reports, the referral rate of patients from Bac Ai to higher-level facilities is 70 to 80%.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong, a specialist in Pediatrics and the Head of the Pediatric Department at Ninh Thuan Provincial General Hospital, where newborn cases referred from Bac Ai District Health Center are received, stated that most referred pediatric patients arrive in critical condition. Due to the lack of medical equipment at the Bac Ai District Health Center, safe transfer procedures cannot be applied. This directly affects the survival of the infants and the ability to provide treatment at the provincial hospital. In many severe cases, successful rescue efforts are not possible. This is one of the main contributing factors to the higher infant mortality rate in Ninh Thuan province (37.5 deaths per 1,000 live births), which is significantly higher than the national average (over 13 deaths per 1,000 live births).
Understanding the urgency of this situation, the Neonatal Care for Remote Areas program, implemented by the Vietnam Children’s Fund Social Enterprise, in collaboration with sponsor MT Cosmetics and kind-hearted donors from the “Nurturing Life” fundraising event, has joined forces to support Bac Ai District Health Center.
On July 11, 2024, the program donated 17 specialized medical devices for the treatment and emergency care of newborns and premature infants to the Bac Ai District Health Center. The donated equipment includes 02 emergency care carts, 01 suction machine for infants and adults, 01 neonatal intubation set, 03 infant resuscitation bags, 02 pulse oximeters (SPO2), 01 phototherapy lamp, 02 multifunctional warming bed, 01 5-parameter patient monitor, 01 obstetrics monitor, 01 electric syringe pump, 01 electrocardiogram machine, and 01 fetal heart rate monitor (doppler).
In addition, 40 healthcare staff at the center received in-depth training in pediatric emergency resuscitation, enhancing their capacity to effectively handle critical situations.
