U.S. Grants $1 million USD to Disabled in Central Hub

On October 1, the US embassy in Hanoi announced three projects totaling some 1 million USD to help people with disabilities in the central city of Danang to access healthcare services and develop a range of life skills.

The aid, to be disbursed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is part of the US Governments commitments to a 3 million USD budget to help the disabled in Vietnam and to offer treatment to sufferers of the effects of dioxins.

The US embassy said 40 percent of the total amount will be used to establish links between a functional rehabilitation centre in the inner city and seven medical stations at the district level, to provide quality services and staff training in this field.

The US functional rehabilitation centre at Binh Dan Hospital and a satellite medical station in Hoa Vang district will both be upgraded to be capable of supporting the needs of other districts.

The Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH) pledged to assist the disabled and their families in improving living conditions and integrating into the community. The organisation will also extend financial assistance to create and implement projects that support the disabled.

In the meantime, Save the Children USA has been authorized to handle another 40 percent of the aid money to help promote employment services for the disabled. The organisation will work with the provincial service of Labour, War invalids and Social affairs and the Integration Development Action Programme (IDEA) to encourage businesses to employ the disabled as well as to promote self-employment.

Part of the aid will be supplied by the East Meets West Foundation, which will use the funds to improve the living conditions for the disabled, especially children with disabilities in the city. The aid will be used to provide medical check-ups, plastic surgery, physiotherapy and community-based functional rehabilitation services for disabled children. The project will also grant scholarships to disabled kids.