Military emulation movement aims to join hands in stamping out COVID-19 hinh anh 1An overview of the ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence's headquarters (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence held an online ceremony on August 23 to launch a special emulation movement on COVID-19 prevention and control in the online form with the participation of 4,500 military officers and soldiers nationwide.

The movement, themed “The military joins hands with the whole nation to fight and win COVID-19 pandemic,” is part of efforts of the armed forces in response to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s call for engagement in the pandemic fight.

Addressing the event, General Luong Cuong, member of the Central Military Commission's Standing Board, Chairman of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army and head of the ministry's Emulation-Reward Council, said that since COVID-19 broke out in the country, the military have formed more than 1,900 pandemic combat teams and checkpoints engaging over 13,000 officers and soldiers, tightly controlling the land and sea border and preventing illegal entry and exit.

Military emulation movement aims to join hands in stamping out COVID-19 hinh anh 2General Luong Cuong addresses the event (Photo: VNA)

Ten field hospitals and one medical centre have been set up to receive and treat COVID-19 patients, while one military-civil hospital was switched to a COVID-19 treatment hospital, he said, adding that the military has donated 510 billion VND (22.4 million USD) to the national COVID-19 vaccine fund, and engaged in vaccine transport to localities and spraying disinfectants in thousands of pandemic-hit areas.

In the time to come, the commission and the ministry will focus on strengthening leadership over the implementation of directions in COVID-19 prevention and control, considering it a combat mission in the current period, he said.

General Cuong underlined that the military is determined to take the lead in taking part in and completing the task of pandemic prevention and control, while coordinating with localities in dealing with their difficulties, taking care of COVID-19 patients and preparing plans against the pandemic.

Along with the emulation movement in COVID-19 prevention and control, military agencies and units will continue implementing other movements such as those in training, scientific research and production.

On behalf of military officers and soldiers, Major General Nguyen Truong Thang, member of the Party Central Committee and Commander of Military Region 7 affirmed the determination to show strong performance in the special movement, contributing to stamping out the pandemic soon, bringing the country to a new normal situation./.
VNA