Survive to Thrive program enhances neonatal care in underserved areas

Newborns with neonatal disorders or premature birth often face many challenges to fight for their lives. Thanks to timely medical intervention, many of them have been saved and returned to the loving arms of their families. However, premature infants born in remote areas, where there are still many limitations in terms of medical equipment and neonatal care capacity, are not always as lucky.

“Practical programs like Survive to Thrive not only provide essential neonatal care equipment but also help train healthcare workers to enhance neonatal care capacity and save the lives of premature infants in remote areas. I hope that the program continues to expand, as our ultimate objective is to promote the health of newborns and the happiness of their families,” said Dr. Le Hoang Phuong, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Children’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

More than anyone else, neonatologists understand the fragility of newborn babies as well as the importance of having essential medical equipment to preserve their little lives. In 2020, VinaCapital Foundation’s (VCF) Survive to Thrive program also sponsored seven SPO2 machines to treat more than 1,100 infants at Children’s Hospital 1. The NICU at this hospital is also considered a model for the program to set up NICUs for district-level healthcare centers across the country. Witnessing the positive impact that the Survive to Thrive program has brought to the patients here, Dr. Hoang Phuong shared her thoughts about the program. This recognition is a great encouragement for the Survive to Thrive program to carry on with its mission to preserve the precious breath of infants, especially premature infants, born in difficult areas.

As of May 2023, the VCF’s Survive to Thrive program has donated 387 essential medical devices to 64 healthcare centers and district-level hospitals nationwide, saving over 40,000 premature infants and newborns with dangerous post-birth complications. With the care and support of the community through the Survive to Thrive program, we believe that more and more babies will be saved, bringing happiness to their families.