The four inspiring characters 2021 honored by VietNamNet on December 20.

The 14 nominees are individuals and collectives that have appeared on VietNamNet. They have made positive contributions to the community thanks to their enthusiasm, talent and kindness, spreading good values in society.

2021 has been a year full of upheaval, damage and pain due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Inspiring Characters Award this year has not forgotten to mention the examples of dedication and sacrifice in pandemic prevention and control.

Their acts have been like "little fires" spreading enthusiasm and kindness throughout the community.

The four individuals and collectives include Dang Thi Kim Oanh, the businesswoman who imported Covid-19 drugs to distribute to patients for free; Major Nguyen Trung Kien, who sponsored three children who were orphaned by Covid-19; Cho Ray Hospital, which plays a key role in treating severe Covid-19 patients; and Vu Quoc Cuong (who died of Covid-19), who volunteered to help the poor, street people and quarantined patients.

Mr. Pham Anh Tuan - Editor-in-Chief of VietNamNet newspaper - speaks at the ceremony.

Dang Thi Kim Oanh, born in 1970, CEO of Kim Oanh Real Estate JSC, received 42,332 votes, the highest number.

Oanh and the charity fund named after her ran the program ‘Tiep noi nhip tho’ (Continuing Breathing), donating ventilators and thousands of medical equipment worth more than VND20 billion to hospitals in HCM City, Dong Nai and Binh Duong.

Oanh also initiated the program "Knock out Covid", under which within just 10 days she imported millions of doses of Covid-19 drug (remdesivir), the most difficult-to-access drug in the world at that time. The Covid treatment drug was considered as precious as gold.

Ms. Dang Thi Kim Oanh.

Thanks to the drugs provided by Oanh and her charity fund, hospitals saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients in 10 cities and provinces from the central region towards the south.

Her charity fund also donated 11,000 welfare bags of rice, dried foodstuff, canned food, eggs and spices to workers and freelancers in Binh Duong, Dong Nai and HCM City.

In late September, Oanh and volunteers prepared 1,000-1,800 meals a day for doctors, nurses, and medical staff at field hospitals and Covid-19 treatment hospitals in Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and HCM City. 

Major Nguyen Trung Kien from Thu Duc City Command under HCM City High Command got 40,977 votes.

When performing his duty of handing over the ashes of those who died of Covid-19 to their relatives, Kien was touched by the conditions of three orphaned brothers, living with their poor grandmother who is 87 years old. The compassion of the father with two children prompted him to sponsor the three children.

Kien has had about 20 professional initiatives since 2016, winning high prizes at competitions organized by the city and military region. He has received over 20 certificates of merit for his excellent achievements in emulation movements.

Major Nguyen Trung Kien.

Most recently, Kien received a certificate of merit from the HCM City High Command and Military Zone 7 High Command for excellent achievements in Covid-19 prevention and control, and a certificate of merit for excellent achievements in the movement ‘Toi yeu To Quoc toi’ (I love my fatherland) from the Central Committee of Vietnam Youth Union.

The medical staff of Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City got the third highest number of votes, 40,106.

Cho Ray is a Ministry of Health (MOH) special-class hospital located in HCM City in charge of treating the most severe Covid-19 cases in the southern region over the last two years.

Doctor Pham Minh Huy - representative of Cho Ray Hospital.

In August 2021, Cho Ray was assigned professional responsibility for the Covid-19 Resuscitation Hospital with 1,000 beds. This was the first and biggest intensive care and resuscitation hospital in HCM City and the southern region using the resources of many hospitals, especially Cho Ray.

During peak days, the hospital received more than 1,700 patients. Many severely ill patients were saved.

Cho Ray introduced ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) equipment, the most advanced technique to save critically ill Covid-19 patients, to Vietnam.

During the fourth pandemic wave, Cho Ray sent many groups of medical workers to epicenters to fight the pandemic. With the assistance, treatment improved and the mortality rate fell.

Mr. Vu Quoc Cuong's wife Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan - (Mr. Cuong passed away due to Covid-19).

Vu Quoc Cuong, born in 1975, got 39,995 votes. He was the founder of Cuong Beo vegetarian food shop. During the tough days of the fourth wave, Cuong organized many charitable activities, including giving food to the poor, street people and people in quarantine zones.

Cuong contracted Covid-19 and passed away. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a decision on posthumously conferring a certificate of merit for Cuong’s contributions to society.

2021 is the second consecutive year that VietNamNet has organized the Inspiring Characters Award, which honors individuals and organizations for their acts that spread good values throughout the community. 

VietNamNet

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