Vietnamese community in Laos joins hands in fighting COVID-19

Vientiane (VNA) – The Vietnamese community in Laos has joined hands with Lao authorities and people to overcome the current COVID-19 outbreak by raising fund and donating cash, necessities and medical supplies to the host country.

On May 5, Star Telecom (Unitel), a joint venture of Viettel in Laos presented the Lao Government and people with more than 5 billion kip (nearly 538.000 USD) in cash and technology solutions to improve the efficiency of COVID-19 prevention and control.

Particularly, along with transferring over 500 million kip to the Lao Ministry of Health's steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control and over 1 billion kip to the bank accounts of frontline medical staff of Vientiane capital and Champasak and Luang Prabang provinces, Unitel assisted Laos’ Health Ministry in operating a national vaccination information system worth more than 200,000 USD.
 
Earlier on May 3, the LaoVietBank, a joint venture between the two countries' banks, also presented the Health Ministry of Laos with medical supplies worth more than 100 million kip (over 10,000 USD). Meanwhile, Vietnamese mining firm Sakai also handed over to Laos more than 208 million kip worth of cash, medical supplies and necessities.

At the same time, Venerable Thich Minh Quang and Buddhist dignitaries and followers in Phat Tich Pagoda in Laos as well as the Vietnamese Association in Vientiane capital provided free meals in some charity facilities in Vientiane.

Meanwhile, in recent days, Vietnamese Associations in many localities of Laos have called on Vietnamese people in Laos to join hands with Lao authorities and people in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, with fund value increasing through days./.