Further promotion of cooperation

Speech by Prof. Dr. Do Nguyen Phuong - Minister of Heath at the Seminar organized by HEDO on 28^th March 2000.

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Dear delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very delighted, on behalf of Ministry of Health, to attend this Seminar and I would like to express warmest greeting to all delegates and guests. Particularly, my congratulations to HEDO on the occasion of the 10^th Anniversary of the HEDO foundation and its achievements made in the past ten years in support for the development of education - science - health in highland and ethnic regions.

As known to everybody, health care of the ethnic people is a top priority of strategy of the Government. This is also the moral and responsibility of one medical personnel. In the past decades, therefore, the health service have been making great effort to perfect and consolidate the basic health networks, especially in remote and isolated areas, carrying out the national projects on malaria control and prevention of non - iodine diseases, mal-nutrition of children, and looking after maternal health; supply much more medicines for the mountainous areas etc... However, due to the budget difficulty, underdeveloped infrastructure, intellect level and other reasons, the health care and control for the ethnic people have not met people’s demand, not equal to great contribution of the ethnic minority of their potential. Therefore, in the health service project strategy from 2000 to 2010, propose to the Government, we put forward some solutions as follows: sending medical doctors down to clinics in mountainous regions; 40% of highland communes should have doctors, building up more clinics, medical general wards with multi-purposed treatment; medicine should be supplied in priority to highland and mountainous regions in order to carry out national programme of prevention and control malaria, goiters, tuberculosis, mal-nutrition of children and organ rehabilitation. We specially pay attention to socialize the health service in mountainous areas, mobilize various potential resources such as State budget, international aid, bank loan, and donation from humanitarian and charity NGOs... to invest in health care. In the policy of health service in mountainous region, we decide to make more cooperation with NGOs, national and institutional, to support and fund to social organizations which give more concern to disadvantageous, remote areas whre 53 ethnic groups with tens of millions population live in poorest and most difficult condition.

With above-said thinking, we welcome the HEDO’s activities for the past 10 years and pledge to strengthen the close cooperation between HEDO and Health Ministry. In many meeting between HEDO leaders and Health Ministry, we have discussed all works, which could be done by both sides. We take note the great effort made by HEDO in gaining support from the Governmental and non-governmental organizations of various countries to fund leprosy camps like Van Lem (Dak to district, Kon tum province), health clinic in Giao Sang commune (Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province).

We also acknowledged the HEDO’s initiative since 1993 in training school teachers combined with nursery services for over 500 teachers of Ha Son Binh training teacher college (now Ha Tay and Hoa Binh provinces); organized summer courses for teachers who have health knowledge in Lang Son and Yen Bai provinces. Besides, dozens of medical doctors have been sent to foreign countries for study tour or training, and exchange experience with advanced health services in developed countries.

HEDO has collected much specialized equipment donated by friendly countries for hospitals and clinics; and plenty of medicine to help ethnic minority.

All what HEDO have been done is a precious contribution to, not only in valuable materials but also in noble morality. This is also a mutual support, as saying: “torn-leaves wrapped up with good leaves”, “tradition of remembering source when drink water”, bringing humanitarian assistance of international friends to disadvantageous region in the work.

On this occasion, I convey sincere thanks to HEDO leadership, Government agencies and NGOs in all countries, which have cooperated with HEDO to assist the prevention and health care prospects of the ethnic people.

I propose, in future, to further promote the cooperation between and HEDO Ministry to higher level. As the part of Heath Ministry, we are ready together with HEDO in implementing the prospects funded by international organizations in order to bring funded money to the hands of ethnic people, thus putting into effect the programme of socialization of health service in ethnic highland areas.

In this spirit, I wish the Seminar success, and more new achievement of HEDO in the day ahead.

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