Vietnam Children’s Fund Social Enterprise Company Limited and the sponsor, Ms. Diep Le donated essential neonatal medical care equipment to Bat Xat District General Hospital in Lao Cai province on December 18,2024. The donation is distributed through the Neonatal Care for Remote Areas program. Vietnam Children’s Fund aims to improve the medical capacity of Bat Xat District General Hospital in Lao Cai province and reduce infant and maternal mortality in underprivileged areas of Vietnam.
The donation handover ceremony is pleased to welcome Mr Nguyen Manh Duc – Director of Bat Xat District General Hospital; Ms. Diep Le – Sponsor, Content Creator, and Inspirational Figure; and Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nuong – Director of the Vietnam Children’s Fund Neonatal Care for Remote Areas program.
The seven pieces of donated medical equipment includes 01 phototherapy lamp, 01 nebulizer, 01 portable phlegm suction unit, 01 infant intubation kit, 01 ambu bag, 01 CPAP, and 01 infant warmer. Vietnam Children’s Fund works in many provinces to provide sustainable solutions to health and education challenges.
Ms. Diep Le shared: “As a mother, I understand the importance of health in newborns. Being able to contribute a small part to the health care of babies in Bat Xat, where medical conditions are still difficult, is a great honor for me. Each machine and medical equipment we donate today is a ray of hope, lighting up the future for the children and their families. With a strong belief that every child deserves to live a healthy and happy life, over the years I have always appreciated the opportunities to contribute to the community. I hope that these devices will help the children have a solid, healthy and bright start.”
Bat Xat district is one of the 74 impoverished districts as designated by Prime Ministerial Decision 353/QĐ-TTg. With a population of over 80,000, of which approximately 60% are H’Mong, Bat Xat district primarily relies on agriculture, including rice, corn, cassava, and livestock farming. Due to geographical challenges and limited resources, poverty rates in the district remain extremely high.
The challenges in economic livelihoods and local traditions have significantly impacted the healthcare of the population, particularly concerning maternal and child health. Within the H’Mong ethnic community, early marriage rates soar as high as 86%. Adolescent pregnancies compromise the mother’s physical development, coupled with a lack of healthcare knowledge and financial constraints. Life is very difficult. Rigorous work in this field further raises the risk of premature births, notably in marginalized ethnic regions and mountainous terrains. Many young mothers are forced into dangerous home births that expose both the mother and child to perilous complications. For those who also use the hospital, the rural healthcare infrastructure is always strained by staff shortages and the lack of medical training and resources. Also given the rugged landscape, hospital transfers prove arduous and costly. As per 2022 data, Lao Cai province reports an infant mortality rate of 33.53‰, indicating that nearly 34 out of 1000 newborns do not survive. The national average in the mortality rate is less than half of the Lao Cai rate.
To improve neonatal care in rural areas, Diep Le has partnered with the Vietnam Children’s Fund in three projects to provide essential medical equipment and training to hospitals in Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, and Lao Cai provinces since 2023. The partnership has provided 20 essential neonatal medical equipment, saving the lives of over 1,200 newborns and premature babies.
