From a group of doctors and Vietnamese-French friends in the city of Olivet (France) more than three decades ago, the Association for Supporting the Development of Health in Vietnam - ADM Vietnam has become one of the most persistent and influential French-Vietnamese humanitarian organizations.
With humanitarian, scientific and cultural goals, the Association has carried out hundreds of practical activities to support health and society and promote French-speaking exchange between the two countries.
Speaking to a VNA reporter from Saint-Denis en Val, Mr. Yann Duchatel, Chairman of the Association, said: “The Vietnam Association for Health Development Support is a humanitarian association established in 1992 with three main areas: medical support, social support and the development of medical French. We send volunteer doctors to Vietnam, provide medical equipment and support medical students in improving their French language skills, thereby opening up internship opportunities in France.”
According to Dr. Tran Anh Cuong, former President of the association, that spirit was clearly defined 35 years ago. “We examine, treat, and perform surgery for poor children and patients who do not have the means. At the same time, we organize professional conferences and exchange experiences with Vietnamese doctors.”
Not only focusing on medical examination and treatment, the association's medical teams have been going to remote areas for many years, organizing community medical examinations, distributing medicine, glasses and supporting difficult surgeries for children with heart disease, congenital malformations, eye diseases or serious illnesses that their families cannot afford.
The social activities are the humanitarian highlight of the Vietnam Association for Health Development Support. Doctor Cuong simply recounted: “We give wheelchairs to paralyzed children, bicycles to children who go to school far away and school supplies to help them continue their education.”
In recent years, the association has carried out many specific projects, most notably: donating 10 wheelchairs to Quang Ngai Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital to support patients with limited mobility; donating 18,000 VN95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic to hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong at that time; supporting poor patients with medical and rehabilitation equipment, especially in cases where surgery is not possible...
Mr. Yann Duchatel, President of the Vietnam Health Development Support Association, explained further: “Every year, we provide medical-social equipment such as wheelchairs to patients who cannot be treated medically. When a surgery is not possible, we support them to have a better life.”
A special feature of the Vietnam Health Development Support Association is to preserve and develop the French language in the Vietnamese medical industry. This is a “soft bridge” but has the most lasting impact.
Ms. Sylvie Gouchet, in charge of the association’s French section, shared: “We help Vietnamese medical students improve their French so they can practice in France. Many of them have now become good doctors.”
Over the years, the Vietnam Association for Health Development has carried out many meaningful activities such as organizing medical French courses, sponsoring 45 scholarships each year for students of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, selecting 2 excellent French-speaking students to do a 6-week internship in France every summer, supporting students to do internships at major hospitals in Paris, Orléans, Amiens, etc.
This is also one of the longest-running activities of the association, maintained continuously since 1992. These programs not only help students access advanced medical knowledge, but also strengthen the medical connection between the two countries.
In addition, the Association also supports connections and sends French doctors to Vietnam to cooperate professionally with Vietnamese colleagues, participates in charity medical examinations in rural areas and supports lower-level hospitals.
Many members of the Vietnam Health Development Support Association come to the association out of love for Vietnam and the desire to contribute to the country's development.
Duong Bao Chau, a young volunteer, shared that participating in free medical examination and treatment programs in Vietnam since childhood helped her deeply feel the love for her homeland. When she went to France to study, she continued to accompany the Association for Health Development Support every year in fundraising events, seeing it as a way to maintain the connection with the country.
Chau confided: “Even though I am far away, I can still contribute to Vietnam. Every year when I participate in the fundraising event, I feel connected to my homeland and to the France-Vietnam relationship.”
Ms. Sylvie Gouchet, who has been involved with the Association for the Development of Health for 15 years, said that the association not only helps her understand more about Vietnamese culture, but also creates opportunities for her to support the young generation of Vietnamese doctors through French language activities. She is proud to see many students supported by the association now become successful doctors in France.
Mr. Alain Carquet, a member of more than 30 years, said that the only reason he came to the Health Development Support Association was his love for Vietnam - the country he calls his "second homeland."
He recounted his first years in Vietnam, when the country was still facing many difficulties after the war, and felt the strong desire of the people to rise up. That was what motivated him and his wife - a Vietnamese - to join the association and contribute for over 30 years.
“I love Vietnam like a second home,” said Alain Carquet. “I see that the Vietnamese people deserve a better life – and I want to do my small part to make that happen.”
It is the special affection of French friends for Vietnam that creates the lasting strength of the Association. In addition to annual activities, the Vietnam Association for Health Development also has emergency support projects.
With the recent flooding in central Vietnam, Yann Duchatel said the association is preparing to launch a targeted relief program, based on direct information from volunteers on the ground, to support areas that have not received much relief.
In addition, among the projects for 2026 announced by the Association, there are also projects to send charity medical examination teams, medical French training courses and a competition to select two excellent medical students to do summer internships in France.
These are activities to ensure sustainability and continue the values that the Vietnam Health Development Support Association has built over the past three decades.
The Vietnam Health Development Support Association is a symbol of humanitarian spirit, close cooperation and friendship between the French and Vietnamese people.
With hundreds of medical missions, thousands of patients supported, hundreds of students awarded scholarships and trained over the years, the Association has made practical contributions to the development of Vietnam's healthcare and society.
Over the past 33 years, the Vietnam Health Development Support Association has not only provided assistance but also spread the message of compassion, sharing and belief in a bright future for Vietnam./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-adm-vietnam-33-nam-dong-hanh-cung-su-phat-trien-y-te-nhan-dao-tai-viet-nam-post1081572.vnp
Comment (0)