Hospitals across Ho Chi Minh City are struggling to treat COVID-19 patients due to a severe shortage of equipment.
Projects
Helping Saigon to Breathe
RCSI Campaign To Supply Oxygen Concentrators Where They Are Needed Most
Why oxygen concentrators?
We spoke to many doctors and asked them what the most pressing need is in their hospitals and field hospitals right now and most identified oxygen concentrators.
One unit can treat up to 6 patients a day in the early stages of the disease by keeping their blood saturation levels up and reducing the number of patients who will need mechanical ventilation.
These units are mobile, require no systemic change in hospital infrastructure or operations, can be passed on to other facilities or areas as the need arises and are relatively affordable.
We are sourcing units that are already approved for use by the Ministry of Health and our doctors have agreed are fit for purpose.
Wheelchair distribution
386 Wheelchairs were sent to Vietnam by the Hua Qiao Foundation in Shanghai.
RCSI worked with sister club, Rotary Club Saigon, to receive the wheelchairs. 286 Wheelchairs were distributed by RCS and 100 by RCSI
We dealt with customs clearance and secured support from Crown Relocations for warehousing and distribution.
Another shipment of similar size will be sent in the coming weeks.
Support for migrant workers during covid-19 outbreak
Workers in many sectors come from outside the city and rely on low-cost rented accommodation. They live on day-to-day earnings and are ineligible for government social security as they are unlikely to be officially registered as residents.
Strict Lockdowns instantaneously robbed them of their livelihood. Many of them tried to leave the city and return to their hometowns, but were turned back and therefore left homeless and without income.
Workers in many sectors come from outside the city and rely on low-cost rented accommodation. They live on day-to-day earnings and are ineligible for government social security as they are unlikely to be officially registered as residents.
Strict Lockdowns instantaneously robbed them of their livelihood. Many of them tried to leave the city and return to their hometowns, but were turned back and therefore left homeless and without income.
- Target: 120,000,000 VND (EUR4,600)
- Amount raised:160,000,000 VND (EUR6,100)
- Families Supported: 400 families were given enough to support them for 3 weeks
- Ongoing Support: RCSI remains in close contact with our partner charity
Baby incubators for newborns
Hospitals are so short of incubators for newborn babies that they are putting multiple babies in incubators designed for one baby. In a time of pandemic, the implications of this are clear.
This image shows the first incubator we supported at Hung Voung Hospital, which was in use within a couple of hours of delivery.
We have now delivered 01 Incubators to Hung Vuong and 01 to Tu Du Hospitals, with a total value of 252,000,000VND
And we raised 2 units with total value of USD 24,000 from Sunrise and AVWA
More incubators are on the way with further donations of over AUD75K due from supporters in Australia.
HFOV ventilators for newborns
Our maternity hopsitals are seeing unprecidented numbers of preterms and sick babies. In many cases these babies weigh less than 600 grams – about the same as a half-full glass of milk.
When babies lungs are not formed properly there is no way to use invasive ventilation. HFOV’s expand babies lungs and allow them to breathe without causing any harm.
Both main maternity hospitals in HCMC are desperately short of these machines. Currently Tu Du has only ONE operational HFOV.
We delivered 2 units and ensured full training for the NICU staff on these complex machines.
Newborns negotiated a special deal for the only 2 units currently in the country.
Normal price for both is VND1.63Bln ($72k). The price negotiated by Newborns is 1.2Bln ($53K).
We are using the donation from Oxygen For Vietnam by a group of young Vietnamese and Viet-Kieu (Overseas Vietnamese) Venture Capitalists to purchase these.
Negative Pressure Ambulance – GG Together With Rotary Club Seoul
Valued at $54k and funded mostly by a Global Grant Application from Rotary Club of Seoul, Korea
RCSI and RCS will make a small contribution together with other clubs around Asia and the Rotary Foundation
Our first contribution to another club’s GG application but still benefitting Vietnam