ExxonMobil expands health care support for children in central Vietnam

ExxonMobil’s donation enables the VinaCapital Foundation to purchase emergency response equipment, provide training for health care workers, and assist hospitals and clinics in strengthening quality of care for children.

“ExxonMobil is working to understand and support the needs of central Vietnam communities,” said Greg Smith, president for ExxonMobil in Vietnam, where it is working with PetroVietnam to develop the Ca Voi Xanh offshore natural gas resource. “Supporting these emergency care initiatives will directly improve the health and lives of many children in the area.”

ExxonMobil and VinaCapital Foundation have expanded this year’s Critical Response programme to include village-level commune health centres, in addition to larger provincial health facilities which received support in previous years.

The new contribution will provide six pediatric emergency care carts to Tan Hiep, Duy Hai and Binh Trieu commune health centres in Quang Nam province and Ly Son district hospital and An Binh and Duc Minh commune health centres in Quang Ngai province.

In addition, ten suction machines will be provided to Hoi An, Dien Ban, Duy Xuyen, Thang Binh and Nui Thanh district hospitals in Quang Nam province, and Binh Son, Son Tinh, Duc Pho, Mo Duc and Tu Nghia district hospitals in Quang Ngai province.

The pediatric emergency care carts will be used to treat children in emergency room and intensive care units. Each cart carries a portable defibrillator, manual resuscitators, and other medical tools, drugs and supplies.

Before using the equipment, doctors will be provided internationally recognised Pediatric Advanced Life Support training, which applies a standardised approach to the evaluation and treatment of critically ill children.

“We are so grateful for ExxonMobil’s continued and generous support for pediatric emergency care in central Vietnam,” said Robin King Austin, CEO of VinaCapital Foundation.

“This gift of medical equipment and training for commune health centres makes the most modern techniques and knowledge available on the front line of Vietnamese health care and helps save the lives of children and adults every day,” she added.

Since ExxonMobil and VinaCapital Foundation began their cooperative work together in Vietnam in 2011, 309 doctors have been trained and certified through 10 Pediatric Advanced Life Support training courses, and 58 emergency care carts have been provided to 39 health facilities in Danang, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces.

ExxonMobil’s contributions are helping save the lives of hundreds of children annually, said Austin.

Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company. It is also the world’s largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products.

The VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) is an American not-for-profit organisation and licensed international NGO in Vietnam. It was founded in 2006 to empower the children and youth of Vietnam by providing opportunities for growth through high impact health and education programmes.