Vietnam
Situation Report
Nearly 40% of Vietnam's population lives in poverty. Although the country's economic situation is improving, the Vietnamese health system, including emergency care, cannot yet adequately care for residents.
Vietnam's underdeveloped emergency medical system has no system in place to adequately treat injuries. Each day, 20 people die and 70 people are injured in road traffic accidents. Trauma accounts for 75-80% of emergency room visits in the provincial hospitals and also causes the greatest number of deaths in children under 18.
Our Work
Medical Teams International has sent 18 volunteer teams to Vietnam since 1997. Volunteers have provided dental care for orphaned children, prosthetics for people with disabilities and most recently, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training. We launched an EMS training program in November 2003 that focuses on training Vietnamese physicians and first responders. In May 2006, we established an EMS workstation in Hanoi.
Future Plans
We plan to send 2 EMS training teams to conduct courses in the Hai Duong province. Their work will complement the ongoing efforts of our full-time project staff in Hanoi, which will continue to develop the emergency medical response system in Vietnam. Medical Teams International will also provide financial support and training to the Vietnamese Red Cross.
The overall goal of the EMS project in Hai Duong is to improve the health of people along the National Highway #5 corridor. A field-based project implementation team, a Medical Teams International project backstop team and a Vietnamese Red Cross Project Management Committee will work together to meet the project objectives and evaluate the overall impact. This project is scheduled to end in December 2009.
We're also working with World Concern on their People Living with Disabilities project. We'll send medical specialists to train local caregivers and improve the care they provide disabled patients.
Our Partners
- Counterpart International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a just world through service and partnership. Counterpart International is building the capacity of local organizations to address important public health issues in Vietnam, such as diabetes, with effective treatment and increased public awareness. Counterpart International also works to improve EMS provision in five provinces through training and technical assistance.
- Hanoi Fire Services is a partnership with the local municipal government to provide first response and basic firefighter training. This training is paramount as fire personnel are often the first responders on the scene of a fire emergency and are using this training to save lives in a timely manner.
- The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) is a member of the International Red Cross Federation. VNRC was founded in 1945 with a mandate to deliver its services in the fields of social relief, health care and development. VNRC provides field services to help minimize the impact disasters have on the community. They work to raise awareness in communities regarding disaster preparedness, organize works of prevention and directly respond to disasters with relief and recovery programs.
- World Concern is an international Christian humanitarian organization working to alleviate poverty and assist disadvantaged people through integrated relief and development programs. This group has been working in Vietnam since 1992 and has implemented several microfinance, health care, water/sanitation and vocational training projects.
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