Overseas Vietnamese Doctor Doan Dao Vien: 'Vietnamese Doctors are Skilled'

Associate Professor, Doctor Doan Dao Vien currently works at UC Riverside School of Medicine and is the director of the Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry. He shared about the NGO' activities and the messages during the Covid-19 pandemic.
February 07, 2022 | 09:17
Overseas Vietnamese Doctor Doan Dao Vien: 'Vietnamese Doctors are Skilled'
Assoc. Doan Dao Vien with members of the Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry during the visit to Vietnam to provide medical care for people.

What are the activities of Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry in Vietnam?

In the summer of 2000, Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry came to Vietnam for the first time with 5 members. We organized medical examination and treatment for more than 1,000 disadvantaged people in the Mekong Delta.

Every year, we go to a province for medical examination and treatment. However, in the past 10 years, Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry has only operated in Cao Bang. We try to focus on helping Cao Bang province improve the healthcare for the people here.

Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry has been operating in Vietnam for the past 20 years. We currently have 40 volunteers who are all doctors, pharmacists, nurses of Vietnamese and US origin, and volunteers.

During the Covid-19, our organization is always ready to join hands with people in the country. We use the US TeleHealth system to connect with patients in Vietnam via the internet. This system ensures patient privacy.

Patients with smartphones can click on the link to connect to the program. After completing the medical record, the doctor will contact and give clear advice to the patient. The doctor will have the patient re-appointment in two to four days after the examination is completed.

Our consulting capacity can be from 200-300 patients every 4 hours/day. The telemedicine program not only examine Covid-19 but also other diseases. Patient records will be saved for future follow-up.

We also created a website to encourage the US Government to support vaccines for Vietnam. I would like everyone to visit our website to encourage the US government to provide more vaccines for Vietnam to overcome the pandemic.

Overseas Vietnamese Doctor Doan Dao Vien: 'Vietnamese Doctors are Skilled'
Assoc. Doan Dao Vien.

How do you feel about coming back to Vietnam for medical examination and treatment?

Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry sponsors free surgery for children with congenital heart disease. We took the children to major hospitals in Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City for surgery. Within 1-2 weeks, the patients were healed. It can be said that the medical infrastructure is good, and the skills of Vietnamese doctors are good.

In the US, a congenital heart surgery costs more than US$500,000, while in Vietnam, it is very cheap. In the past, the cost of congenital heart surgery for children in Vietnam only cost US$700, now it ranges from US$2,000 to 2,500. These are advantages for Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministry when operating in Vietnam.

What message do you want to send to the people of Vietnam?

Vietnamese doctors are skilled. During the Covid-19, Vietnamese people should trust Vietnamese doctors, the Ministry of Health and the Government of Vietnam.

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