A woman gets a jab of Covid-19 vaccine in Binh Thanh District, HCMC. Approximately 7.5 million syringes donated by South Korea arrived at the Cat Lai Port in the city on August 8 - PHOTO: MINISTRY OF HEALTH

HCMC - The South Korean Government has donated 7.5 million syringes to HCMC to support the city’s Covid-19 vaccination program, the Consulate General of South Korea in HCMC announced on August 8.

The syringes arrived at HCMC’s Cat Lai Port on August 8 and will be distributed to districts in the city. The donation is part of the “Comprehensive Urgent Support for Covid-19 Response” program worth US$2.5 million that was signed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency in Vietnam and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on June 23.

During a visit to Vietnam in June, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui Yong said Korea would provide Vietnam with 30 million syringes for Covid-19 vaccination and over 300,000 bins for medical waste.

The South Korean Government has also collaborated with Vietnam to organize an international seminar on Covid-19 vaccination and donated 40 thermometers to international airports in Vietnam in May and medical supplies worth US$20,000 to Bac Giang Province, which was once Vietnam’s biggest Covid-19 hotspot, in July.

Besides, officials of the Consulate General of South Korea in HCMC have donated VND57.5 million to support the city in the fight against Covid-19.

The Overseas Korean Association in HCMC will give VND100 million, 1,000 sets of protective gear and 10,000 face masks to the city, while Korean businesses have donated over VND180 billion to support Vietnam’s Covid-19 fight.

In related news, the Swiss Government will provide medical equipment worth 5 million francs to help Vietnam fight off the pandemic.

During a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Thi Anh Xuan late last week as part of a two-day visit to Vietnam, Swiss Vice President Ignazio Cassis announced the 5 million francs emergency medical aid for Vietnam, which includes 500,000 Covid-19 rapid test kits, 300,000 antibacterial masks and 30 oxygen ventilators.

"We look forward to supporting Vietnam's sustainable development and making the economy more resilient to crises like the Covid-19 pandemic," Cassis said.

Since 1991, the Swiss Government has provided 600 million francs to support Vietnam's socioeconomic development.