KHANH HOA MEDICAL RELIEF PROJECT
OUR MISSION
This summer the Asian Pacific Medical Student Association (APAMSA) of The Philadelphia College Osteopathic Medicine will be hosting a medical mission trip to Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.
** This medical mission is a cooperative effort between students from PCOM and students from three other institutions, including Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Drexel School of Medicine and The University of Maryland. From June 16th to July 1st, 2007, two physicians, seven medical students, one PhD candidate, one undergraduate student and one clinical research administrator will be traveling to Dien Khanh County Hospital to provide medical care and to establish programs in preventative health for the community.
**While in Vietnam, the team will also be working with the General Hospital in the District Dien Khan and Dr. Minh, the head of the Ministry of Health of Khanh Hoa. The medical relief team will be operating under the guidance of Peacework, a non-profit gloval volunteer, relief and ddevelopment organization.
** The purpose of this trip is both to enrich the medical education experience of the students and the physicians, and to improve the health of the residents of Khanh Hoa.
BACKGROUND INFROMATION ON KHANH HOA PROVINCE
** Khanh Hoa is one of the provinces of Viet Nam and is located in the south-central region. THe province has 137 communes and its capital Nha Trang. Although 133 communes have health centers, only 64% of the clinic centers have medical doctors.
** The geography of the area includes mountains in the west and long sea coast in the east. The main economy of Khanh Hoa is aquaculture, agriculture and tourism. The province’s population is estimated to be 1,111,300, with 80% of its population living in rural areas. Many are unable to pay for healthcare, preventing them from seeing a health care provider when they are sick. The government recently made strides to improve the health care equality policy by establishing a program allowing free healthcare by way of insurance cards. Despite these strides, however, cost continues to limit coverage, and many families are unable to benefit from the program. Furthermore, finances are not the only concern regarding health care access. Even when the residents are finally able to visit a commune clinic for the illness, they will not receive a standard quality of care due to the fact that many of the commune clinics are unable to obtain functional or proper equipment to provide care.
** In addition to the inability of the residents to pay for their healthcare costs and the low quality of care in the rural clinics, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, encephalitis, shigella and dengue fever pose a great threat to the health of the poor residents of this province. The number of HIV infections, for example, in the country continues to rise. As a developing nation, Vietnam does not have the resources to carry out a mass preventative proram to all the provinces. The country relies on the World Health Organization, a non-government organization, and developed nations to assist it to carry this task.
** Although communicable diseases currently affect a major portion of the population of the country, the rising number of chronic illnesses such as malnutrition, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases also raise health concerns in the many areas of the country. Many children of the communes in Khanh Hoa, especially the one in the mountainous areas, do not receive adequate nutrition due to lack of knowledge regarding nutrition due to poverty. Better screening and educational programs need to be implemented to limit the occurrence of these disease and to promote better health.
EDUCATIONAL ASPECT OF THE MISSION
During this trip, the doctors and the medical students will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of and skills pertaining to cultural competency, and increasing important aspect in the practice of modern medicine.
** With respect to international health, this experience will enhance the students' and physicians' knowledge of tropical medicine, rural medicine, infectious diseases, and the healthcare policy and development of a third world nation.
** In addition to the aspects mentioned above, the team will also be conducting a research study in conjunction with the Khanh Hoa Ministry of Health that will assess the current health risks for that region. Based on the information collected through the study, educational programs can be implemented that would influence the residents' behaviors and environment, helping them reach their maximum health potential.
This summer the Asian Pacific Medical Student Association (APAMSA) of The Philadelphia College Osteopathic Medicine will be hosting a medical mission trip to Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.
** This medical mission is a cooperative effort between students from PCOM and students from three other institutions, including Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Drexel School of Medicine and The University of Maryland. From June 16th to July 1st, 2007, two physicians, seven medical students, one PhD candidate, one undergraduate student and one clinical research administrator will be traveling to Dien Khanh County Hospital to provide medical care and to establish programs in preventative health for the community.
**While in Vietnam, the team will also be working with the General Hospital in the District Dien Khan and Dr. Minh, the head of the Ministry of Health of Khanh Hoa. The medical relief team will be operating under the guidance of Peacework, a non-profit gloval volunteer, relief and ddevelopment organization.
** The purpose of this trip is both to enrich the medical education experience of the students and the physicians, and to improve the health of the residents of Khanh Hoa.
BACKGROUND INFROMATION ON KHANH HOA PROVINCE
** Khanh Hoa is one of the provinces of Viet Nam and is located in the south-central region. THe province has 137 communes and its capital Nha Trang. Although 133 communes have health centers, only 64% of the clinic centers have medical doctors.
** The geography of the area includes mountains in the west and long sea coast in the east. The main economy of Khanh Hoa is aquaculture, agriculture and tourism. The province’s population is estimated to be 1,111,300, with 80% of its population living in rural areas. Many are unable to pay for healthcare, preventing them from seeing a health care provider when they are sick. The government recently made strides to improve the health care equality policy by establishing a program allowing free healthcare by way of insurance cards. Despite these strides, however, cost continues to limit coverage, and many families are unable to benefit from the program. Furthermore, finances are not the only concern regarding health care access. Even when the residents are finally able to visit a commune clinic for the illness, they will not receive a standard quality of care due to the fact that many of the commune clinics are unable to obtain functional or proper equipment to provide care.
** In addition to the inability of the residents to pay for their healthcare costs and the low quality of care in the rural clinics, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, encephalitis, shigella and dengue fever pose a great threat to the health of the poor residents of this province. The number of HIV infections, for example, in the country continues to rise. As a developing nation, Vietnam does not have the resources to carry out a mass preventative proram to all the provinces. The country relies on the World Health Organization, a non-government organization, and developed nations to assist it to carry this task.
** Although communicable diseases currently affect a major portion of the population of the country, the rising number of chronic illnesses such as malnutrition, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases also raise health concerns in the many areas of the country. Many children of the communes in Khanh Hoa, especially the one in the mountainous areas, do not receive adequate nutrition due to lack of knowledge regarding nutrition due to poverty. Better screening and educational programs need to be implemented to limit the occurrence of these disease and to promote better health.
EDUCATIONAL ASPECT OF THE MISSION
During this trip, the doctors and the medical students will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of and skills pertaining to cultural competency, and increasing important aspect in the practice of modern medicine.
** With respect to international health, this experience will enhance the students' and physicians' knowledge of tropical medicine, rural medicine, infectious diseases, and the healthcare policy and development of a third world nation.
** In addition to the aspects mentioned above, the team will also be conducting a research study in conjunction with the Khanh Hoa Ministry of Health that will assess the current health risks for that region. Based on the information collected through the study, educational programs can be implemented that would influence the residents' behaviors and environment, helping them reach their maximum health potential.