Mr. Tran Ngoc Phuc (fourth from right) at the award ceremony (Photo: baotintuc.vn)
This is an important award to recognize and honour organizations and individuals who have made excellent contributions to Japan.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Phuc, 71, named Nitta Kazufuku in Japanese, left Vietnam to study at Tokai University from 1968.
In 1984, he established Metran Co., Ltd and invented the first high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFO) to help increase the flow of oxygen for premature babies. The machine produced by Metran has saved thousands of premature babies in Japan.
It was reported that 90 percent of Japanese hospitals and medical facilities are equipped with HFO machines made by Mr. Phuc’s company. It is also present at hospitals in other countries, including Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia and Mexico.
The story of the HFO machine, which helped save the lives of thousands of premature newborns in Japan, caught the attention of the Japanese Emperor. In July 2012, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited Metran.
In December 2017, his company was recognized by the Japanese government as one of enterprises playing a role as a drive force in the future growth of the region.
In May 2017, he was elected as the Chairman of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Japan for the 2017-2020 term. He has mobilized Vietnamese youth in Japan to build action programs to raise awareness of Vietnamese in Japan, and support those in difficulty to integrate into the local society.
With the above achievements, he was presented the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, to recognize his active contributions to Japan as well as the Vietnam - Japan friendship./.