(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam intends to buy 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines worth more than 1 billion USD to vaccinate 75% of its population. The State will spend nearly 700 million USD while localities and other resources contribute the rest. This represents a huge expenditure at a time when Vietnam is facing economic woes due to the pandemic.
 The Vietnam Fatherland Front has raised more than 110 million USD from businesses, organizations and individuals for the fight against COVID-19. |
Vietcombank has contributed significantly to the fight against COVID-19 and offered incentives to help businesses hurt by the pandemic. Pham Van Dung, Vietcombank Director General said the bank has donated money to purchase COVID-19 vaccines in response to the call of the Party and State.
'Vietcombank has donated nearly 4.8 million USD. On May 21, we donated more than 1 million USD to buy COVID-19 vaccines. We have also given 1.7 million USD to 10 epidemic-hit provinces,' said Dung.
Along with Vietcombank, many other banks and businesses donated money to purchase COVID-19 vaccines as soon as the 4th wave of the epidemic occurred. State-owned banks donated millions of dollars. The Van Thinh Phat Investment Group donated 19.5 million USD, Vingroup nearly 21 million USD, and T&T group 5.2 million USD.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front has raised more than 110 million USD from businesses, organizations and individuals for the fight against COVID-19. The money will be used to buy vaccines, ventilators, and medical supplies and support quarantine and treatment areas and frontliners.
To Thi Bich Chau, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in HCM City, said that contributions by the community and businesses is a great source of encouragement for those fighting the pandemic.
'We have received nearly 87 million USD and have sent to the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee more than 22 million. We will use the money to vaccinate people and control the epidemic,' said Chau.
The Government on Wednesday launched a COVID-19 vaccine fund which receives contributions from people inside and outside Vietnam to buy vaccines, produce vaccines domestically, and vaccinate the public. So far, Vietnam has received 2.9 million doses of AstraZaneca vaccine and expects to have 110 million COVID-19 doses by end of the year.