ON Semiconductor and Orbis International Launch State-of-the-art Vision Center to Expand Access to Eye Healthcare in Vietnam

With the goal of positively impacting the communities in which we operate, ON Semiconductor prioritizes supporting organizations across the globe that promote good health and well-being. As one of the many grantee partners in our network that align with this priority, Orbis International operates across more than 50 countries worldwide with a mission to prevent and treat blindness through hands-on training, partnerships with local health care organizations, public health education, and improved access to quality eye care. In commemoration of World Health Day and its 2021 campaign to build a fairer, healthier world, we are highlighting our partnership with Orbis International Vietnam, which has made significant strides in combatting inequity within the country’s ophthalmology sector.

In 2019, a substantial multi-year grant was awarded by ON Semiconductor to support Orbis’ Good Sight, Good Life project, which aims to address visual impairments due to uncorrected vision problems and provide eye care services to disadvantaged children and the elderly in Vietnam. An important component of this project was the establishment of an eye care site for a local community in need. On November 4, 2020, the official opening of the Orbis International Vision Center in Dong Nai General Hospital was celebrated with an opening ceremony and community event. The new center provides comprehensive and accessible eye care to the residents of Bien Hoa City in the Dong Nai Province.

Many people were able to take part in the event – led by liaisons form Orbis International and staff of Dong Nai General Hospital - due to the exceptional COVID-19 containment efforts of Vietnam. A group of ON Semiconductor Vietnam employees volunteered to support the event by attending an orientation training, which prepared them to provide information about common health issues and eye conditions to elderly people and use their communication skills to comfort patients during the eye screening. In addition to representatives from Orbis International and ON Semiconductor being present, local health leaders and reporters were in attendance. Complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the event celebrated Actions for the Elderly month by providing free eye health checks for 40 elderly people from Dong Nai.

Mrs. Le Thi Hoa, a 67-year-old resident of Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, stated:

“I’m very impressed with how modern and well-equipped this area is. From the beginning to the end, I was well taken care of and the staff explained everything.”

Thanks to the Good Sight, Good Life project, the people of Dong Nai now have access to local eye-care services that were only accessible previously by travel to Ho Chi Minh City, 92 kilometers (57 miles) away. Across Vietnam, only 10% of people with refractive errors such as nearsightedness and presbyopia, or loss of near vision with age, have access to quality eye care due to a lack of availability of comprehensive services in the country. Now, doctors and the medical staff at the Vision Center are prepared with modern equipment and training to assess patients for refraction errors as well as examine and treat conditions such as farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. As of late December 2020, nearly 500 patients had been provided vital eye care services at the Vision Center in Dong Nai, with 160 of those patients receiving new customized glasses.

Dr. Ngo Duc Tuan, director of the Dong Nai General Hospital, communicated the impact the Vision Center has on the local community:

“It is the first time we deployed a refraction unit in Dong Nai with suitable equipment and a professionally trained medical team, which has a very special meaning for the Dong Nai people. Now they can approach quality eye care services in the province without having to transport a long way as they had to prior. We do hope the refraction unit at Dong Nai General Hospital will serve as a blueprint and its experiences will help the medical field to expand this refraction service to many other areas in the province.”

Standing as an innovative example of a quality eye care resource, the Vision Center exemplifies the importance that community partnerships have in expanding affordable healthcare to disadvantaged populations in Vietnam. Attendees expressed gratitude for ON Semiconductor’s commitment to supporting the vital work of Orbis International and affiliates which are carrying out the Good Sight, Good Life project.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung, site operations manager (and acting general manager during the time of the event) for ON Semiconductor in Vietnam, stated:

“Improving eye care services in Dong Nai, especially for those who need special help like the elderly and children, is one of the prioritized corporate social responsibility activities by ON Semiconductor and its factories in Vietnam. Participating in this project shows our support of the health of the local people. We hope the Vision Center will continue to improve the health, wellbeing and lived experiences of residents in Dong Nai for years to come.”

For more information about how ON Semiconductor supports transformative social impact projects in the community, visit the ON Semiconductor Foundation site.