Ottawa (VNA) - A virtual seminar to share Vietnam’s experience in responding to theCOVID-19 pandemic was jointly held by the Canada - Vietnam Society (CVS) andthe Vietnam - Canada Friendship Association (VCFA) on July 7, with about 90 delegatesattending.
Speaking at the event, Thomas Alexander, an education consultant working in HCMCity, said he was most impressed by the vision of Vietnamese leaders in thecountry’s fight against COVID-19.
Leaders seemed to understand the complexity of the pandemic and applied toughmeasures to contain its spread, he said.
When the coronavirus was new to the public, many people did not strictly complywith the Government’s restrictions, but later, both Vietnamese and foreignersalike realised that tough measures were right, he stressed.
Associate Professor and Dr Tran Xuan Bach from the Hanoi Medical University briefedCanadian friends on the interdisciplinary approach for preventing andcontrolling COVID-19 in Vietnam.
Dr Vu Ngoc Long from the Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive Medicine told them about Vietnam’s efforts in respondingto the health crisis.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth McIninch from the CVS said many countries worldwideare now trying to bring activities back to normal amid global efforts to test anti-viralvaccines and drugs.
For Canada, Vietnam plays an important role as it is its strongest developmentpartner in Southeast Asia, with HCM City now being one of the most importanthubs for startups in the world, she noted.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will provide impetus for stronger cooperationbetween Vietnam and Canada in the future, she said, expressing her belief that thereremain opportunities for the two counties to expand their cooperation despite thechallenges caused by the pandemic.
On the occasion, the CVS presented the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the NationalHospital of Tropical Diseases with over 2,000 CAD (over 1,469 USD) each tosupport disease prevention efforts./.