The airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK-registered charity Facing The World (FTW) and the World Alliance of Airway Management (WAAM) in the fields of medical training and community health care.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by President Vo Van Thuong of Vietnam, as part of the framework for his state visit to the UK for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
According to the agreement, over the next five years Vietnam Airlines will fly specialist FTW teams to Vietnam to provide training for Vietnamese doctors, enabling them to perform life-changing operations on children born with disabling facial deformities; and to donate key equipment to Vietnamese hospitals to facilitate complex surgeries.
In addition, Vietnam Airlines will also transport experts from all over the world to the WAAM Conference which is being held in Vietnam in 2024.
Le Hong Ha, president and CEO of Vietnam Airlines, said: “Our long-terms goal is to help enable Vietnamese doctors to learn new techniques and approaches form the world’s leading surgeons. We are proud to continue to support charities such as Facing the World and not-for-profit organisations such as the World Alliance of Airway Management.
“Through this cooperation, Vietnam Airlines wants to affirm its role in supporting the healthcare sectors of both Vietnam and the UK, thereby strengthening trust, friendship and long-term cooperation between the two countries.”
Katrin Kandel, CEO of Facing The World, commented: “Having the support of both Vietnam Airlines and the World Alliance of Airway Management, doctors in Vietnam can now train in the latest techniques to manage these challenging surgical cases. Our fellowship programmes in the UK, US and Australia allow doctors in Vietnam to increase the standards of care and change the lives of children all over the country.”
