Efforts to ease the pain of Agent Orange
(Baonghean.vn) - Over the years, the Party and State have had many policies to ease the pain of people infected with Agent Orange/dioxin. However, people of the third generation have not yet benefited from these policies.
To avoid disadvantages for this group, since 2021, the People's Council of Nghe An province has issued Resolution No. 30/2021/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2021 (Resolution 30) to support third-generation victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.
Humanitarian policy of Nghe An
According to the content of this Resolution, each individual infected with Agent Orange who is a third generation disabled will receive support of 180,000 VND/month. This is a humane resolution, unique to Nghe An. Currently, the functional agencies of Nghe An province are implementing the resolution.
Excited to access the new policy, Mr. Doan Thanh Binh - Hamlet 1, Hung Chinh Commune, Vinh City said: His family has three children who all suffer from the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin because their grandfather participated in the resistance war against the US in the area sprayed with Agent Orange. It is worth mentioning that all three children are unable to work because of the severe consequences. Therefore, when receiving this funding, the family has been able to reduce the cost of medicine and hospital fees for two seriously ill children.
“In the past, my father and I were supported by him because he had a pension and Agent Orange allowance, but now that my parents have passed away, my father and I are in a difficult situation. We have to try to pay for hospital fees, medicine, and daily living expenses,” Mr. Binh confided, adding that although the support is not much and not enough to cover monthly medical expenses, his children are still encouraged to some extent.
Similarly, the family of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luyen in Ben Thuy ward, Vinh city also felt comforted by the new policy. Mr. Luyen participated in the southern battlefield in the area where the enemy sprayed toxic chemicals. At first, he was not aware that he had been infected with this evil poison. When he returned to start a family, he suffered from pain all over his body and his health declined. As his first child grew older, he showed signs of dementia and schizophrenia, and his second child also suffered from schizophrenia. At this time, he was shocked to go for a blood test and received the result that he was infected with the toxic chemical dioxin. But more painfully, his grandson also suffered from schizophrenia and abnormal intelligence. This year, he is 9 years old but cannot go to school.
Mr. Luyen said: I have made a disability record for my grandchild but he only receives very little support. My family has asked many times about the support for third-generation victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and was told that the Government has not yet decided to support people like my grandchild. Fortunately, the city has recently reviewed and paid the province's support according to Resolution 30 of the Provincial People's Council, so I have had the opportunity to take my grandchild to Hanoi for medical examination and treatment. Mr. Luyen also said that this humane policy of the province is very meaningful, a source of encouragement and support for less fortunate people like his grandchild.
Mr. Ta Quang Du, Chairman of the Vinh City Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims, said: In the city, there are many families with three generations infected with Agent Orange. There are also children who used to go to school and work normally, but then had a mental breakdown, and only after examination did they know they were infected with the poison from their grandfather. Currently, the city has 3,250 people who participated in the resistance war and their children were infected with toxic chemicals, but only 1,210 people are entitled to the subsidy for those infected with Agent Orange/Dioxin. Among these, there are many families with up to three generations who all suffer from very severe consequences of toxic chemicals.
Efforts to ease the pain of Agent Orange
Mr. Hoang Dang Hoe - Chairman of the Provincial Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims said: Although the subsidy from Resolution No. 30 of the Provincial People's Council is not much, it is a humane policy to encourage and boost the spirit of families of third-generation Agent Orange victims. Mr. Hoe also added that in the process of reviewing families with members participating in the resistance war infected with Agent Orange/Dioxin, there were many tragic circumstances. Although their children and grandchildren were infected with toxic chemicals and had serious disabilities, unable to live independently like normal people, the grandfather was not entitled to the regime of toxic chemicals because he did not have the diseases in accordance with current regulations. In addition, there are many second-generation grandchildren who, although they did not show clear signs of being infected with toxic chemicals, when they gave birth (third generation), had very serious sequelae. Many third-generation children were blind, deaf and mute, mentally retarded, schizophrenic or unable to live independently. However, currently, in addition to the province's support policy, these victims have not received support policies from the Government.
Up to this point, the whole province has 13,690 people enjoying the policy regime for those infected with Agent Orange/dioxin. However, compared to 40,000 people participating in the resistance war in areas with toxic chemicals, this is still a small number. In recent years, to support families, Nghe An has done a good job in policy work for those infected with Agent Orange such as timely payment of regimes, support for families in difficulty with housing, and purchasing facilities.
In particular, the Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims of the province and localities has also accompanied and connected with many organizations, businesses and philanthropists to help those in difficult circumstances, gradually helping them overcome difficulties in life. In the first 6 months of 2023 alone, the Association has mobilized organizations, businesses, philanthropists and people to support and help nearly 5,000 victims with special difficulties in housing, production capital, and medical treatment with an amount of over 2 billion VND.
Currently, the province has supported 193 people with congenital disabilities who are the third generation infected with Agent Orange/dioxin. Although the amount of support is not much, this is truly a great source of encouragement for those who are especially disadvantaged in the province; contributing to easing the pain of Agent Orange for the unfortunate lives.