PVNF Team: Medical Missions

Since 1996, Project Vietnam has been bringing medical mission teams to rural provinces of Vietnam every year in March and November. We bring healthcare to the needy through free surgical corrections for children with birth deformities and eye defects, medical exams and treatments to villages and schools, and training health personnel at all levels of the medical system.

SPRING TRIP FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 17, 2013

To my friends volunteers on the trip, returning from their trip:

As you wrap up your work and prepare to return to your next destination, I have these thoughts:

-I truly believe that we have the greatest dedicated team on this mission. Whatever it was, whether doing an exhaustive inventory, stay up most of the night when you are still reeling from the jet lag, and waiting impatiently to do the work you came for...the energy and power of the combined dedication is truly impressive!

-the work we accomplished is but a small fraction of what could have been, this is our overall regret, thinking of the patients whom we did not reach...

Many times, I considered throwing the towel, however after every mission, the impact on the patients, the vietnam healthcare staff at all levels, remained deep...It is helping us truly change the face of pediatric care, we constantly see the testimonies to that effect, even recently. The chiefs of Pediatrics at Khanh Hoa and Da Nang provinces stated "Project Vietnam provided us with the building blocks to improve newborn and pediatric care."

Please look at the people and their needs, the land and its natural beauty, PVNF leadership ensures you that your investment with us will grow to reach regional and nationwide policies and system development.

For those of you for whom it is the first contact, please follow us and we will report to you the services that you have contributed to support indirectly. Please tell your friends about what occurred and how we overcame it as a team together, and made a nutritious soup to feed the soul and alleviate health needs of many, with the ingredients which each of us brought and a dash of friendship, compassion and faith to spice it all.

Once again, thank you for your work, bearing with the aggravations and raising above all. We count on you to document and tell the story. May you have a safe journey home!

Quynh Kieu