For Ho Ngoc Cam Tien, the support came at a difficult time. As a 12th-grader at Vinh Thanh High School in Can Tho, she faced family hardship after her father was injured in a traffic accident and her mother suffered from heart disease.
The family's already strained finances became even tighter.
Tien said the health insurance card provided by Dantri/DTiNews helped ease the burden on her family and gave her greater peace of mind to focus on her studies.
She is not alone. Nguyen Ngoc Phuong, another student who received a Dantri-funded health insurance card, said the support was particularly meaningful to students from disadvantaged families.
For many rural families, health insurance can be a financial burden, particularly those without farmland, with parents working away from home or facing illness and accidents.
At Vinh Thanh High School, Principal Do Thanh Thien said around 50-80 students face financial difficulties each year.
Some come from families without farmland or whose parents work away from home, he said, adding that the more than VND 600,000 cost of health insurance can be a burden for some households.
"The programme is very meaningful for disadvantaged students," Thien said, adding that support at the beginning of the school year was particularly valuable.
The school also seeks other sources of assistance for disadvantaged students, but fundraising is not always easy, he said.
Health insurance cards mobilised and donated by the newspaper therefore not only help families cut back-to-school expenses but also give students greater security as they continue their education.
Support spreads across communities
The impact has extended beyond individual students, with similar efforts to expand health insurance coverage taking shape across several Mekong Delta localities.
In Nhon Ai Commune, Can Tho, residents have become eligible for state-supported health insurance after the locality was recognised as an An Toan Khu, or former revolutionary base area.
About 35,000 of the commune's 39,000 residents have so far registered for health insurance under the policy, with the cost covered by the state budget.
Dang Thanh Hien, Deputy Secretary of the commune Party Committee and Chairman of the Nhon Ai People's Committee, said encouraging residents to take out health insurance had previously been difficult.
Many households rely on farming and have unstable incomes, while fluctuations in agricultural prices can affect their ability to pay for health insurance, he said.
The commune still has around 40-50 near-poor households, while many others also face financial difficulties.
In An Binh Ward, Can Tho, seventh-grader Nguyen Quoc Dat of My Khanh Secondary School said he was happy to learn that students would not have to pay for health insurance this year.
Whether provided through charitable donations or state-funded policies, the support shares a common goal: easing families' concerns over healthcare costs and helping children continue their education.
In Phu Quoc Special Zone in An Giang Province, authorities are also reviewing health insurance coverage, particularly among disadvantaged residents who remain uninsured.
For island residents, health insurance helps reduce medical expenses and provides greater security when accessing healthcare services, Minh said.
Nearly 8,000 cards donated
The initiatives show how a charitable programme can have an impact beyond the moment a health insurance card is handed to a student.
Through the newspaper's programme, schools have gained a better understanding of students' circumstances, while local authorities have become more aware of social welfare needs and benefactors have been encouraged to provide further assistance.
Dantri/DTiNews launched its 'Supporting Students to School - Health Insurance Cards for Disadvantaged Studentsp' rogramme in the 2022-2023 academic year to help children access timely healthcare and continue their education with greater peace of mind.
The programme has so far provided 7,934 health insurance cards to disadvantaged students in localities across the country, including Hanoi, HCM City, Hue, Danang, Can Tho, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dong Thap and Vinh Long.
Ahead of the new academic year, Dantri/DTiNews plans to provide another 921 health insurance cards and scholarships to disadvantaged students in central provinces.