Religious contributions in healthcare services

02/28/2019

According to the statistics of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Vietnam currently has over 60,000 medical examination and treatment facilities run by religious organizations and individuals, including modern and traditional treatment facilities.  

In 2018, over 710,000 people received medical checks and treatment from these medical facilities. In particular, over 600,000 people have received free medicines at modern medical facilities; over 1 million people received free medicines at traditional medical clinics, etc.

One of typical medical facilities is Xuan Hoa charity clinic (Xuan Loc Diocese, Dong Nai province). The clinic has used many modern equipment for exam and treatment of various diseases including ear, nose, throat, eyes and internal diseases

Each year, the clinic received 9,000 patients on average and also provided free health-check and medicines for the poor. The clinic has as well provided counseling and treatment of social diseases, HIV-infected people and tobacco detoxification and has organized medical charity programs for patients in remote areas twice a year. The clinic has operated at the total expense of over one billion VND for 2018.

A representative from the clinic – Clergyman Nguyễn Mạnh Hoan said that the clinic would further invest new equipment and facilities in order to provide better services for patients who are disadvantaged people, regardless of religious background. In 2019, the clinic will conduct medical examination and present gifts to patients in remote areas in a larger scale as compared to previous years, he added.

The charity polyclinic of Ha Tien pagoda located in Dinh Trung commune, Vinh Yen city, Vinh Phuc province has provided frequent health-check and free medicines for children of preschools in the city, as well as made medical dossiers for monitoring 690 children. In addition, the clinic has provided treatment using traditional medicines for thousands of elderly people with the total value of over 350 million VND.

For each year, the traditional medical clinic in Phuoc An pagoda in Can Tho city has received 80,000 patients and provided from 700,000 to 800,000 free packets of traditional medicines with the total value of about VND 4-5 billion.

Tue Tinh charity clinic in Ky Quang pagoda located in Ho Chi Minh has provided free examination and treatment for HIV-AIDS using Vietnam natural herbs. In 2018, the clinic have received nearly 82,000 patients, including 200 patients infected with HIV/AIDS

According to Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Ngô Sách Thực, the treatment facilities of religious organizations have strictly followed the State law on medical examination and treatment. However, in some localities, religious medical establishments are still facing many difficulties in policies for health staff as well as lack of facilities and medical equipment.

In particular, a member of the Vietnam Pure-Land Buddhist Association in Dong Thap province expressed hope that the State would create favorable conditions for the registration of private medical practices for supporting traditional medicine physicians to help poor patients and a increasing a number of those who prefer the traditional treatment.

According to Health Minister Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến, thanks to the advocacy work of religious organizations, 1,975 people have registered to donate human organs after death since 2015 and 743 people registered to donate their body. Especially, 219 monks, priests and religious dignitaries have registered to donate their body for medicine benefits.

PH