Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan presented gifts to persons with disabilities at the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health is working to further promote the socialisation of support for persons with disabilities by mobilising organisations, particularly those representing persons with disabilities, as well as individuals and communities to take part, Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan said.

She made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon at a ceremony in Hà Nội marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3).

The event was held in coordination with the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) under the Ministry of National Defence, the Hà Nội Association of People with Disabilities and Catholic Relief Services.

Minister Lan, who is also chairwoman of the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities, affirmed that caring for, protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities has always been given special attention by the Party and the State.

She noted that Việt Nam currently has around 7 million persons with disabilities, of whom about 3 million have been issued disability certificates and approximately 1.7 million with severe disabilities receive monthly social allowances.

About 96 per cent of persons with disabilities are covered by health insurance. Children with disabilities receive support for inclusive education at mainstream schools and specialised institutions, while persons with disabilities are supported in vocational training, job creation and access to preferential loans to improve their livelihoods, she said.

The minister said the Politburo has recently issued Resolution No 72-NQ/TW on breakthrough solutions to protect, care for and improve public health. At the tenth session of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Health submitted a resolution on breakthrough policies to implement Resolution 72 and the national target programme in the health sector.

The programme includes “Project 4,” which relates to social protection through models that provide care for and promote the role of persons with disabilities, she said.

Đỗ Thị Huyền, chairwoman of the Hà Nội Association of People with Disabilities, said over the years, persons with disabilities in Hà Nội have continuously striven to move forward from pursuing education, employment and starting businesses to contributing to social activities.

Many individuals have overcome environmental and attitudinal barriers to assert themselves and contribute to the development of the capital. These efforts are proof that when society is inclusive and progressive and when opportunities are created, values can be spread, she said.

She said the establishment of disability associations at the commune and ward levels marks an important step in affirming that persons with disabilities are not merely beneficiaries, but active agents in the development process.

Persons with disabilities are citizens with rights, voices and the ability to contribute to the progress of their own communities, she said.

“Fostering disability inclusive societies is not the responsibility of a single sector, organisation in a single day of the year. It is a long-term journey of the entire society.

“We - persons with disabilities - are not standing outside that journey. We are companions, creators, and implementers,” she said. — VNS