In the early morning of May 23, while many of the city’s lights had not yet gone out, a volunteer team from Children’s Hospital No. 1 set out from Ho Chi Minh City for To Vinh Dien Elementary School in Ward 3, Bao Loc, Lam Dong Province, to conduct a program offering free medical examinations, medication, and gifts to underprivileged children.
This is an annual charitable initiative, held two to four times a year in underprivileged, remote, or isolated areas where children lack access to adequate healthcare services. Beyond its role in promoting community health, the program also serves as a bridge to foster a spirit of sharing among healthcare professionals, businesses, and philanthropists toward children in need.
On the vehicles making their way through the early morning fog were medicines, medical equipment, gifts, and the bustling activity of the team of doctors, nurses, volunteers, and partner organizations. The program is supported by many businesses and generous donors, such as Hợp Nhứt, Tlas, HBN Pharma, Synatura Syrup, and Life Gift VN, all of whom are helping to bring healthcare services closer to children in remote mountainous areas who still face many hardships.
This year’s program was held in an area with a large ethnic minority population, where access to healthcare services remains limited for many families. From early morning, the courtyard of Tô Vĩnh Diện Elementary School was packed with parents who had brought their children to wait for their checkups. Some families traveled dozens of kilometers from outlying areas so their children could receive a comprehensive health checkup.
Amid the characteristic chill of the mountain town, the sight of doctors and nurses devotedly examining young children, parents patiently waiting for results, and children clutching the gifts they had just received created a warm atmosphere of sharing and care for children in underprivileged areas.
The working delegation was led by Dr. Đặng Khải Minh, M.S., Specialist II. The program’s medical director was Dr. Phan Ngọc Duy Cần, Specialist II and Distinguished Physician, along with a team of doctors and medical staff from Children’s Hospital No. 1.
According to the organizing committee, nearly 1,000 children received general physical exams, eye exams, ear, nose, and throat exams, ultrasounds, nutritional counseling, and free medication during this program. The free medical checkups for children in underserved areas not only help detect and treat common health conditions but also help many parents become more aware of the importance of monitoring their children’s health from an early age.
During the medical examinations, doctors identified several common conditions in children, such as respiratory infections, tooth decay, myopia, astigmatism, and malnutrition. Some cases showing signs of cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and hemangiomas were also detected, and patients were referred to specialized facilities for further treatment.
According to Distinguished Physician Dr. Phan Ngọc Duy Cần, a Board-Certified Specialist (Level II), the greatest value of these charitable programs lies not only in providing free medical examinations and treatment but also in the opportunity to help children in underserved areas gain earlier access to healthcare, thereby improving their long-term health care conditions.
He believes that what is most valuable is that an increasing number of organizations, businesses, and healthcare workers are joining in community activities. It is this collaboration that helps ensure volunteer medical examination programs can be sustained and expanded to many localities that still lack adequate healthcare services.
What concerns the working group is that there are still many children who have never received a comprehensive health checkup due to economic circumstances and geographical distance.
“Some of the children brought along old, crumpled medical records, while others were having their eyes examined or undergoing an ultrasound for the first time. Seeing the look in their eyes as they were asked questions and encouraged, we felt even more strongly that every child deserves proper attention and care,” said Dr. Phan Ngoc Duy Can, a board-certified specialist.
For cases of severe illness or particularly difficult circumstances, the team records the information and advises families to take their children to Children’s Hospital No. 1 for further treatment. Through the Social Work Department, the hospital will provide additional financial assistance to those in need.
In addition to providing medical care, the volunteer group also distributed many gifts—including clothing, shoes, milk, notebooks, and pens—to underprivileged children in the local community.
Dr. Quan Gia Linh, one of the young doctors on the team, said that what she remembers most after each trip is the look in the eyes of many children when a doctor asks them questions and explains their health condition in detail for the first time.
Dr. Quan Gia Linh kindly examined the children.
“Some of the children were very shy, but after being encouraged, they began to smile more. Many parents also took the initiative to ask detailed questions about their children’s health after receiving counseling. Moments like these make us feel more deeply the significance of the medical profession and the responsibility we have as doctors toward children in underserved areas,” said Dr. Quan Gia Linh.
Late in the afternoon, the volunteer buses left Bao Loc to return to Ho Chi Minh City. But what remained after that journey were not just the gifts or medical records, but also the bonds forged by the kindness of volunteers dedicated to helping children in the remote highlands who still face many hardships.
Because sometimes, what children in mountainous areas need is not just medicine or a single medical checkup, but also the opportunity to receive comprehensive health care and grow up surrounded by the community’s care…
Source: Vanhienplus
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