Responsibility in communities lends hand to pandemic efforts

Many companies have been joining the nation’s efforts in coping with the crisis, Photo: Thanh Tung

On November 19, the vibrant streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City turned off their lights and spent some time in silence in memory of the more than 23,000 people, officials, doctors, and anti-pandemic forces in Vietnam who have died from COVID-19.

In recent weeks, among thousands of touching stories, actions to spread the spirit of kindness, and calls for a sense of responsibility from citizens, many businesses have gone out of their way to help others in any way they can.

According to updated data from the management board of Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund, more than 565,000 individuals, organisations, and businesses have contributed nearly $382 million to the fund as of November 18. The vast majority is being used to buy vaccines, with the vaccination rate in the country now reaching more than one million shots per day.

As of late last week, Vietnam has administered more than 103 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and the vaccination rate in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City increased to well over 90 per cent.

Through other initiatives, many businesses have donated ventilators to treat severe patients, supported the construction of field hospitals in pandemic-hit areas, invested in research and production of medical equipment, and set up so-called rice ATMs, oxygen ATMs, and zero-VND supermarkets to ease pressure on the pandemic frontline and support millions of disadvantaged people in quarantine or locked down areas.

This summer, when the hardest pandemic wave hit the southern economic region, which accounts for 45 per cent of the country’s GDP, a huge number of businesses worked hard to create a stay-at-work model to maintain production, showing their determination to accompany the government in realising the goals of fighting the pandemic and developing the economy.

Companies also attempted to maintain an uninterrupted supply chain and share difficulties with employees, ensuring jobs and income despite the significant financial losses and risk of bankruptcy.

With the number of COVID-19 cases in the country’s two biggest cities increasing, companionship and sharing of corporate responsibilities with the government and the community has become more necessary than ever before.

In order to clearly assess the role and contributions of the business community, Vietnam Investment Review will host an online seminar on sharing corporate responsibilities and coping with the coronavirus on November 29.

At the seminar, managers, economic experts, and business leaders will make assessments on community activities, share experiences, and make appropriate recommendations on sustainable development and improvement of standards for Vietnamese enterprises.

Solutions to maintain and develop the economy together with community support activities will also be discussed at the seminar as a way to empower and encourage the business community in Vietnam to carry out their missions successfully and, moreover, help employees and others in the prolonged pandemic battle.