Vietnamese businesses donate over one million masks to the US

Pham Quang Anh, director of Dony Garment and US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink during the medical supplies donation hosted by the VCCI on June 5

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) hosted the donation cermony on last Friday (June 5). During the event, Dr. Vu Tien Loc, chairman and president of the VCCI, acknowledged that although the contribution was modest compared to the US' demand for medical supplies, it was still “a beautiful gesture from Vietnamese businesses and organisations towards the Americans during a time of hardships.”

According to the VCCI, the aid was provided by Dony Garment Co., Ltd., AIC Group, Tan Dai Hung Plastic JSC, SENGROUP, OneStep Vietnam Co., Ltd., Oxalis Adventure, and Tuong Nguyen charity group, among several others.

Giving away 100,000 antibacterial and anti-droplet cloth masks with a total value of over VND10.5 billion ($456,520), Dony Garment was one of the businesses that wanted to express gratitude to the United States previous support to the Vietnamese people during the pandemic.

Pham Quang Anh, director of Dony Garment, said his company had been significantly impacted by the pandemic, both in good and bad ways, so they understood what kinds of adversity other firms and people around the world face.

“At a time when the disease is spreading in other countries, including the US, we want to contribute more to the international community. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have deducted 5 per cent of Dony's entire revenue, from apparel to cloth masks, to the community.

On behalf of Operation USA, the unit that would receive and distribute the shipment in the US, Ambassador Kritenbrink expressed his appreciation towards the Vietnamese government, VCCI, and sponsors.

“We have a saying that 'A friend in need is a friend indeed’. It means that if you find yourself in a difficult situation and you need help, you will find out who your true friends are because your true friends come forward and help you,” he said, addingthat the US had gained new friends in Vietnam through the event.

Concerning the US pandemic situation, Kritenbrink was positive that the US would successfully make it through and acknowledged that the help from the Vietnamese businesses and organisations would be a factor in US success.

“From the first day of the pandemic, there were so many private companies and individuals here in Vietnam who reached out to the US Embassy, offering donations of medical supplies as American frontline workers were facing the threat from COVID-19,” he stressed.

The US Ambassador also praised Vietnam’s success in COVID-19 prevention and control which plays a crucial role in the nation’s economic recovery.

Until June 8, the US had about 1.98 million confirmed cases and around 112,000 deaths from COVID-19. While planning to gradually reopen the economy, the country still show heightened awareness of the pandemic spreading.

The US had made efforts to assist other countries in disease prevention. Specifically, it has provided Vietnam with $9.5 million for disease prevention.