The goal was to teach Vietnamese doctors and nurses how to successfully perform new procedures and how to improve treatments for patients using limited supplies and equipment. In communist Vietnam, access to quality healthcare is a luxury the poor cannot afford. The government gives each hospital a fixed amount of money per year. When that money runs out, the hospitals are dependent upon donations from their local communities - and donations from other countries. When Vietnamese children are sick, their families must come up with extra money to buy medication, intravenous fluids and sometimes, more attention from doctors and patient care staff.
Many parents often find themselves in difficult situations.
If you don't have the extra money - you might not get the surgery needed to save your dying child. Lending a hand Getting an outside group of healthcare workers into Vietnam has become a bit easier since the government started letting Americans into the country in 1995. Still, gaining entrance into Vietnam isn't easy. One World Pediatric Care worked hard to secure an invitation from the government, proper visas for the entire group, approval from the Minister of Health and arrangements to visit various hospitals and clinics throughout the country. A team of ten healthcare specialists made the two-week strip in November.