The certificates were awarded following Decision No 157/QD-BHXH issued on February 5, for the Communication Department of Buddhist Sangha of Dong Thap Province, the HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) and the Dong Nai Food Industrial Corporation.

Minh also approved Decision No 156/QD-BHXH on the same day to give the certificate to the Social Insurance magazine for its outstanding achievements in organising the implementation of the programme.

Previously, the social security agency issued plan No 1910/KH-BHXH on June 5, 2019, to order relevant agencies to carry out the programme of awarding health insurance cards to underprivileged people and poor patients in 2019. As a result, the programme gave health insurance cards to 2,400 people in eight provinces of Yên Bái, Bắc Giang, Thái Bình, Hà Tĩnh, Bình Thuận, Đắk Nông, Đồng Nai and Tiền Giang last year.

The funding for the programme came from donations from officials and staff of the social security sector as well as other individuals and organisations in society.

After only six months of implementation, the programme has involved the participation of many organisations and individuals that consider giving health insurance cards to people in difficult circumstances as a practical and meaningful job.

In addition to 2,400 cards already awarded, kind-hearted individuals and organisations have committed to sponsor another 11,000 health insurance cards under the programme./