Vietnamese doctor wins 1st prize in national photo contest on primary health care

Koen Duchateau, Head of Development and Cooperation at the EU Delegation, delivers a speech

The competition was held jointly by VOV Online Newspaper in collaboration with the Delegation o f of the European Union in Vietnam, the World Bank, the Ministry of Health and the project “Health Professionals Education and Training for Health System Reforms” (HPET).

Editor-in-Chief of VOV Online Newspaper Pham Manh Hung reviews the contest

After two months from its launch date, the contest attracted by 350 entrants made up of professional and amateur photographers who submitted 1,270 entries between them. The contest proved to be popular particularly amongst health workers working in the primary health field with contestants coming from every corner of Vietnam. Interestingly, the first prize winner is a doctor working in a PHC team in the country’s southern region.

Koen Duchateau, Head of Development and Cooperation at the EU Delegation presents the first prize to Pham Quoc Hung from Dong Nai

Artworks focused on spreading information on aspects of primary health care (PHC) including health education, proper nutrition, food supply, safe water supply, environmental hygiene, maternal and child health, family planning, vaccination against infectious diseases, local disease control, appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries, supply of essential drugs, health management and strengthening health facilities at grassroots levels.

Nguyen Dinh Anh, head of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Communications, Emulation and Reward hands out the second prize to Dang Tran Thi

Koen Duchateau, Head of Development and Cooperation at the EU Delegation,  said in recent times the EU Delegation to Vietnam and other member nations were glad to make contributions to the millennium development goals of the health sector in Vietnam. At present, the EU has expanded the scale of its cooperative and partnership relations with Vietnam and attached special importance to it through the implementation of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

Project Manager of HPET project Nguyen To Uyen presents the third prize to Lai Dien Dam

Mr Koen noted that the EU has signed off on an aid package worth EUR8.4 million for the Health Professional Education and Training for Health System Reforms Project (HPET) through the Trust Funds managed by the World Bank. The aid package aims to improve the quality of a health professional's education, strengthen competency among management across the health sector, and improve primary health care teams at the grass-roots level.

The project’s programs have contributed to improving and providing a high-quality workforce in the health sector to meet the demands for socio-economic development.

Editor-in-Chief of VOV Online Newspaper Pham Manh Hung presents the second prize to Nguyen Huu Thong

Mr Koen also underscored the importance of primary health for people, especially for those in remote and mountainous areas, noting that the EU will continue to co-ordinate with Vietnam’s health sector to improve the quality of services received at health facilities. 

Health Specialist at the World Bank Le Minh Sang presents consolation prizes to Nguyen Tuan Thanh and Nguyen Thanh Ha

Pham Manh Hung, Editor-in-Chief of VOV Online Newspaper, who is also head of the organizing board, said this was a high-quality photo competition, attracting participants from across the social spectrum. The jury panel includes professionals and famous photographers who have worked hard to select the most outstanding pieces of artworks from over 700 entries selected by the organizing board during the preliminary round.

Authors from all regions nationwide have entered the contest with the number and quality of entries beyond the  organizing board’s expectations.  He also underlined the importance of the contest in raising public awareness about primary heath for for the community.

Mr Hung emphasized that the winning photos are professional and conveyed the deep message of primary health among Vietnamese people. Despite not being professional photographers, many winners have worked in the health sector,  he noted.

Organizers pose for photos with winners of the contest

First prize went to Pham Quoc Hung from the southern province of Dong Nai, who submitted a photo of a child administering vitamin A.

 Mr Hung has worked for 37 years in preventive health care at the medical station of Dong Nai’s town of Tan Phu. He said his photo recorded one of the national programs implemented at the station where he has been working and having regular contact with patients, including children.

Participants of the event check out photos on display at Hanoi’s downtown The organizing board also presented two second prizes, three third prizes and five consolations prizes to winning artworks.

In addition, organizers also gave an award for the most shared photo on the contest’s fanpage which received more than 601 shares. The author of the award has donated all the prize money to support children who have cleft lip and palate in Vietnam.

An exhibition of the best photos will run until December 9.