Standard Chartered Vietnam donates to “Help Vietnam Breathe – Vì Nhịp thở Việt Nam” campaign to support Covid-19 treatment hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City

Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam has donated VND460 million (equivalent to USD20,000) to support the Covid-19 treatment efforts in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the locality being hit hard by the pandemic. Made through the lifesaving program “Help Vietnam Breathe – Vì Nhịp thở Việt Nam” run by The VinaCapital Foundation (VCF), the donation will be used to purchase ventilators for hospitals and personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers.

“Supporting the community has always been a key focus in our operations, especially now when Vietnam is facing its worst COVID wave. This donation is part of a series of actions we have taken so far to help Vietnam in the fight against the pandemic so that everyone can look forward to getting through this together,” said Michele Wee, CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam. “We will continue to engage in our corporate social responsibility commitments ensuring the thrive of the community where we operate to drive commerce and prosperity in the country.”

“VCF is proud to partner with Standard Chartered Bank to support the local medical community in the battle against the pandemic. Together with Standard Chartered Bank VCF wants to ensure that the health and safety of hospital staff on the frontline are protected and preserved and that the lives and livelihoods of those with serious Covid-19 complications have access to ventilators so they receive the healthcare they require to survive,” said Rad Kivette, CEO of VCF. “With the support of the Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC, donors, and partners, “Help Vietnam Breathe – Vì Nhịp Thở Việt Nam” has been able to donate over 1 million USD for critically needed equipment to be sure no one is left behind.”

Recently, Standard Chartered Vietnam has donated 1,500 sets of personal protective equipment and 6860 N95 masks to National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi. The Bank also made a VND900 million (USD40,000 USD) donation to Saigon Children’s Charity, which is used to buy food, books, stories, and games for children in families which are facing economic difficulties due to the ongoing pandemic. These are Standard Chartered’s continuous activities to support the COVID-19 relief efforts in Vietnam since 2020. Last year, the Bank made a series of monetary donations worth USD200,000 (VND4.66 billion) and other in-kind donations to support COVID-19 prevention through multiple non-profit organizations and hospitals.

“Help Vietnam Breathe – Vì Nhịp Thở Việt Nam” is a program implemented by VCF to raise funds for purchasing essential pandemic-fighting medical equipment and supplies for frontline medical facilities as the pandemic prolongs and the number of newly infected cases increases dramatically. VCF aims to donate ventilators for hospitals treating Covid-19 patients along with personal protective equipment to protect thousands of frontline healthcare workers from high risk of infection. VCF collaborates with local authorities to distribute the medical equipment to areas of most severe critical need. The “Help Vietnam Breathe – Vì Nhịp Thở Việt Nam” campaign has successfully deployed 57 ventilators, 1 ECMO machine, and thousands of sets of PPE to Covid-19 treatment hospitals in HCMC, Long An, Can Tho, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, and Quang Nam province.