SAMITIVEJ HOSPITAL JOINS PROGRAMME WITH PDA TO HELP PROVINCIAL PATIENTS

       Samitivej Hospital recently joined Mechai Viravaidya's Population and Community Development Associations programme to improve living conditions of the rural poor in Nakhon Ratchasima and other north easteen provinces.
       The hospital is encouraging customers to donate new and used toys to children under the toy-sharing programme in Buri Ram.
       It also recently made a Btl-million donation to develop Nuangpluang Village in Nakhon Ratchasima with a commitment to fund the project annually.
       To Samitivej CEO and managing director Raymond Chong, the longterm corporate-social-responsibility (CSR) projects are aimed at creating opportunities for their medical staffto serve people in rural areas, as well.
       "I would like our staff always to come to the village to educate people about health and guide children on planning for a career," he said.
       "We don't want to do only a one-off charity event and then depart. We intend to strengthen the bond with villagers in many regards. Nuangpluang will be the first village Samitivej will develop as a community".
       The hospital's CSR project for Nakhon Ratchasima is called Healthy Community.
       "It sets out to assist villagers by improving their health and developing career skills and overall living conditions," Chong said.
       The PDA, founded and chaired by Mechai, will run the project for the hospital.
       Mechai is well known for his family-planning efforts decades ago. The campaign earned him the nickname "Mr Condom".
       Chong said the Btl-million allocated for Nongpluang would be used as a community fund for villagers seeking employment opportunities. It will also be used to pay for scholarships.
       For the toy-sharing project, Chong said big boxes had been set up at its three hospital-on Sukhumvit and Srinakarin roads in Bangkok and in Chon Buri's Sri Racha district-tostore donated toys.
       In only one month 2,000 items have been donated, demonstrating the public's willingness to bring happiness to provincial children.
       The toys are meant as rewards for desserving children who have performed some sort of public duty, such as growing saplings, replaning trees or collecting garbage.
       Mechai, whose family has been a loyal patron of Samitivej Hospital for four generations, initiated the toy project in Buri Ram afew months ago.
       Tanatat Puttasuwan, director of CSR at the PDA, said the aim of the toy-sharing project was to foster a spirit of philanthropy among youngsters.
       Children wishing to borrow the toys must perform a good deed, such as some sort of activity that promotes recycling and green projects.
       "There is a real danger of children becoming too self-centred and failing to show regard for others," he said. "The toy-sharing programme should help instil sense of compassion and empathy for others who are less fortunate," Tanatat said.
       In only one month, 2,000 items have been donated, demonstrating the public's willingness to bring happiness to provincial children.