Giving gifts to relatives of patients in especially difficult circumstances at Muong Khuong General Hospital on the occasion of Vietnam Social Work Day (March 25, 2025).

Thicker than the social safety net

On March 25, 2010, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 32/2010/QD-TTg approving the Project on developing the social work profession. With the mission of healing the cracks in society during the development process, minimizing social inequality and moving towards sustainable, humane and compassionate development. Over the past 14 years, the social work profession has entered the practical life in Lao Cai province and has left many positive marks to thicken the social security "net".

Recognizing the role and significance of the social work profession, Lao Cai province has established and developed a network of facilities providing social work services in a sustainable manner, focusing on developing social work services for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. To improve professional efficiency, increase the quantity and improve the quality of human resources doing social work according to the principle "The network of human resources doing social work must be strong from the grassroots", Lao Cai has focused on developing the force of social work staff/collaborators in hospitals, schools, the judicial system, courts, etc. All communes, wards, and towns in the province have a team of social work collaborators directly advising and implementing state management of social work. Whether they are full-time or part-time staff, social work staff are always positive factors, brave enough, and loving enough for increasingly difficult and complicated social activities.

According to the provincial Department of Health, currently in Lao Cai province, there is the Provincial Social Work Center, a public welfare facility that nurtures, supports, and helps vulnerable groups such as orphans and abandoned children, currently nurturing nearly 100 people; at the same time, there is also a non-public welfare facility, the Long Huong Social Welfare Facility (Coc San Commune, Lao Cai City), which is a common home for more than 20 children in especially difficult circumstances. 5 major provincial hospitals and 9 district-level general hospitals all have a Social Work Department with the role of connecting donors with hospitals to help poor patients. Not only that, this place also carries out health communication and education activities, supporting patients when they come for medical examination and treatment.

In particular, in the process of implementing social work activities, in addition to the state budget, the socialization of both financial and public resources is an inevitable and effective contribution to the socio-economic development and social security in Lao Cai. That is the consensus in mobilizing and actively contributing to the Funds from the province to the grassroots level (For the poor, Gratitude, Child protection, Education encouragement...); the program "Reaching for the dream", " TV mailbox", "Humanity"... of the Provincial Radio and Television Station and Lao Cai Newspaper; volunteer activities of organizations and individuals.

Meeting the needs of social work services

Ms. Lo Thi Lien has worked at the Provincial Social Work Center for nearly 20 years and is one of the typical employees who are dedicated to the social work profession. Every day, she and the staff of the Center take care of the orphans raised here with dedication and care; train the children in life skills in studying and daily activities such as waking up early to exercise, tidying up the house, personal hygiene... She and her colleagues are always close, understanding the children's thoughts and feelings, encouraging them to live happily and healthily, lovingly, actively studying and taking care of them like family members.

Talking to us, TTD (14 years old) who has been raised at the Social Work Center for over 9 years said: Living at the Center, I feel very happy and joyful because I receive care and nurturing from the parents in the Center, ensuring that I and my friends here have a happy and comfortable life.

Children raised at the provincial Social Work Center celebrate the traditional Tet At Ty 2025

Currently, the Provincial Social Work Center is nurturing and caring for nearly 100 social protection beneficiaries (orphans, the elderly, the disabled, and the mentally ill). In order to manage and care for the beneficiaries at the Center, the staff and employees have been on duty 24/7 to ensure absolute safety for the beneficiaries; ensure nutritional quality and food safety and hygiene for the beneficiaries according to the daily menu. Along with that, the Center promotes propaganda activities to introduce key activities in the field of social work so that organizations and individuals know about the functions and tasks of the Provincial Social Work Center; especially in supporting and consulting on solving social work issues for beneficiaries in need of urgent protection.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien - Head of the Social Work Team of Muong Khuong District General Hospital, in recent years, the Social Work Team of the Social Work Nursing Department of Muong Khuong District General Hospital has received instructions from the authorities on medical examination and treatment services for patients right from the time they enter the examination department; grasped information on the health and difficult circumstances of patients to propose plans to support them mentally and materially; mobilized hospital staff and benefactors to support patients in especially difficult circumstances during their treatment at the hospital; provided advice to patients on their legal rights and obligations in medical examination and treatment and health insurance policies and support policies of Lao Cai province for poor ethnic minorities receiving inpatient treatment and poor women giving birth at the hospital... Thereby, it has contributed to helping patients feel secure in their treatment and recover their health soon to return to their families and daily work.

With the social work profession, it is difficult to measure the hardships and sacrifices of those who work in the profession. We only know that the work of social workers as well as philanthropists and volunteers is worthy of honor when it contributes to bringing joy and happiness to those in difficult circumstances.
To develop the social work profession, in the coming time, specialized units in the province need to continue to improve and diversify social work services at social assistance facilities; continue to maintain and promote charity movements and humanitarian support in many diverse and rich forms. Detect and have timely support activities for risky and unfortunate circumstances. At the same time, there is close coordination to improve the quality of charitable activities and movements./.