National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and his spouse Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nga on July 28 (local time) visited the family of Jacques Savary in Switzerland’s Vevey. VNA/VNS Photo

VEVEY -- National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and his spouse Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nga on July 28 (local time) visited the family of Jacques Savary in Switzerland’s Vevey, who has made substantial contributions to the healthcare sector and communities in Việt Nam's Cần Thơ city.

The activity forms part of the top legislator’s ongoing trip to the Central European country.

NA Chairman Mẫn expressed deep appreciation for Savary and his wife, Mic, acknowledging their personal sacrifices - in time, health, and finances - to support the Vietnamese Mekong Delta city’s healthcare sector and people.

In 1995, together with a group of doctors and nurses from the Việt Nam Medical Aids (VMA) Foundation, Savary - biomedical engineer - and his wife, a nurse, chose Cần Thơ as their destination, bringing with them a spirit of volunteerism and a deep commitment to supporting a still-struggling healthcare system.

Between 1995 to 2002, thanks to the couple’s devoted efforts, local hospitals, such as Cần Thơ General Hospital, Cần Thơ Children's Hospital, and Vị Thanh Hospital, received professional support and access to modern medical equipment, helping improve the quality of healthcare services for local residents.

In 2002, due to health reasons, they returned to Switzerland. However, their bond and sense of responsibility toward Việt Nam endured. The VMA, a Swiss nonprofit organisation dedicated to sending medical teams to Vietnam, has continued its support for the healthcare sector in Cần Thơ and other Mekong Delta localities.

At the meeting, Savary recalled his time in Việt Nam, saying after returning home, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy, along with friends from Việt Nam and Cần Thơ, would visit his family whenever they came to Switzerland. -- VNS