Charity programme to provide free surgery for poor with cleft lips
The third “Light up Vietnam’s smile” programme, which provides free surgeries for people with cleft lip and palate , is open for registration until October 30.
The third “Light up Vietnam’s smile” programme to provide free surgery for disadvantaged people with cleft lips and palates is open for registration until October 30. (Photo courtesy of AFS)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The third “Light up Vietnam’s smile” programme, which provides free surgeries for people with cleft lip and palate, is open for registration until October 30.
It is sponsored by US NGO Alliance For Smiles and the Rotary Club of Saigon.
The surgeries are expected to be performed from November 9 to 19 at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital.
The programme will identify 70 patients with lip defects and cleft lips and gums, including children aged just 10 weeks.
Examination, treatment, surgery, and even accommodation will be provided for free.
For registration, people can contact hotline 0234.3969.556 at the hospital’s department of otorhinolaryngology - eye - maxillofacial surgery or register at local women's associations, commune and ward people's committees, or the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at communes and wards or contact Dr Minh at 0988.619.557 or Dr Phuong at 0942.411.114.
They can also register at: //docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKocDHWmATPoo_kBRuccsfxLQJhyPjOAfPhiA17LMw-2Bitw/viewform and send to rotary.saigon@gmail.com or contact the Rotary Saigon hotline at 0913100678.
Last year, when the programme first began, 40 people received surgeries for cleft lips and palates, all children from Mekong Delta provinces.
The full medical costs and part of their accommodation and travel expenses were taken care.
The second programme was held at the Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in April this year when 120 children and adults benefited.
Founded in 2004, AFS provides free treatment for people with cleft lips and palates worldwide.
The Rotary Club of Saigon, established in 2021, focuses on educaꦛtion, healthcare for mothers and childrenও and other social programmes./.
The Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs and the General Hospital of the northern mountainous province of Son La, in collaboration with Operation Smile Vietnam (OSV), are organising a cleft lip and palate surgery programme for local children from August 26-29.
About 80 children with cleft palate in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and surrounding localities are to receive free check-ups and surgeries from now until April 18.
An annual programme to provide free medical examination, consultation, and medicine to people in the central province of Quang Ngai was kicked off on January 15.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
