ExxonMobil donates pediatric ventilators to Vietnam’s hospitals

“ExxonMobil is committed to being a valuable member of the communities where it operates,” said Greg Smith, president and country manager for ExxonMobil in Vietnam “We invest in community projects that have a lasting impact on individuals and families in the communities where we live and work. Our hope is that these ventilators will help make a difference in the health and lives of many children.”

ExxonMobil’s funding for pediatric and neonatal ventilators responds to a specific need for such equipment in Vietnamese hospitals and expands the scope of the company’s health care initiatives in Vietnam. The four ventilators are being provided to the three hospitals in central Vietnam during ceremonies on March 26-27 – two machines will be provided in Danang Women & Children Hospital, and one each in Quang Nam Pediatric Hospital and Quang Ngai General Hospital.

VinaCapital’s experience suggests that ExxonMobil’s contribution of pediatric health care equipment, part of the foundation’s Critical Response programme, will help save the lives of 200 children annually.

ExxonMobil has supported the VinaCapital Foundation over the past two years by providing pediatric emergency care carts and related training in Vietnam. VinaCapital outfits the carts with defibrillators, suction machines and other supplies, and trains Vietnamese medical staff to use of the equipment. In 2011 and 2012, ExxonMobil provided a total of 52 emergency care carts to 38 hospitals in three provinces in central Vietnam.

“We’re so grateful for ExxonMobil’s continued and generous support for pediatric emergency care in central Vietnam,” said Robin King Austin, chief executive officer and executive director of the VinaCapital Foundation.  “Every day, children die because there are no ventilators to save them. This equipment will likely be working every single day to save a child.“

The main goal of mechanical ventilation is to provide temporary assistance in respiration and oxygenation of the blood.  The Neonatal Intensive Care Units of the three hospitals receiving the ExxonMobil ventilators have a total of 95 beds that usually treat  65-85 infants a day.