In our previous trip to Viet Nam, we have contacted several local charity organizations. Through our thorough discussions on their visions, work and opportunities to cooperate in doing medical missions at their work sites, Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program has established a strong relationship with these organization so that we will be able collaborate and support to them in future mission trips. By establishing connections with these organizations, VNMAP can provide its participants a broader medical experience and at the same time extend its service to more needed areas in Viet Nam. If you would like to have more information about these charity organizations, please click on the links below

Clinic in New Village
Location of service:
Ho Chi Minh City and its suburban district.
Background: 
The clinic was created by the cooperation of a local church and private donors with the purpose to serve the poor in the suburban areas of Ho Chi Minh City and patients' camps. Their involvement is extraordinary because they are committed to high quality healthcare with the emphasis in respecting the patients. For those who cannot afford the care, the healthcare providers at this clinic will do their best to make sure the patients receive medical attention free of charge. In addition to treating the patients, they also teach patients how to take care of themselves. The clinic provides the patients with pamphlets of information about different health topics such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and much more. When the clinic has enough resources, they usually make trips to patients' camps, such as leprosy camp, HIV camp, and elderly camp, to take care of those patients.

Reaching to the Poor
Location of service
Ho Chi Minh City and Long An Province
Background:
In Ho Chi Minh City, Father Hien hosts a clinic on Sunday mornings to treat the poor. This clinic provides free healthcare and free medicine when available. The doctors are all volunteers. In addition to the clinic, Father Hien has also made trips to the Lap Dien district of Long An province to provide help to the impoverished residents. The people in this area are very poor and receive little assistance from the government. They lack funding to provide food for the family and schooling for their children. In addition, since they live in a rural area, they often face serious illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, and chronic diseases.

Nha Trang City Red Cross
Location of service:
Khanh Hoa Province
Background:
In our last mission, the medical team had an opportunity to meet the director of the Nha Trang City Red Cross, Dr. Le Quoc Thinh, and to visit their clinics. Their mission was to serve the poor who live in the small villages as well as the minority in the rural areas of Khanh Hoa Province. The organization has health clinics in the communes to serve for the people, and also conducts and cooperates with different humanitarian groups from different countries to bring medical services to the people in those areas. We went to visit their health clinics and saw their volunteer doctors and nurse practitioners in action. Most patients were senior citizens and children. The Red Cross clinics provide the patients with free care and medicines that they had. Due to the lack of funding, the clinics could only be opened on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week. The clinics are maintained by generous private donors and volunteers.

Lifting up the Minorities
Location of service:
Lam Dong Province
Background: 
Sister Minh and the other Sisters of the medicant order Dominic have provided help and care to the ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas of Lam Dong province for many years. The ethnic minorities have settled into small villages. They are extremely poor and lack the basic necessities that will enable them to have a healthy life. The children cannot go to school and the residents usually live off the crops that they grow. There is no clinic or hospital within their villages. There is only one clinic outside of their village and if they are very ill, they have to depend on the people of the mendicant order to transport them to the hospital in the city and also pay for their expenses. The residents in these villages encounter a wide range of illness from infectious diseases to chronic diseases, such as joint and muscle pain. A particular concern in these villages is malnourishment because of the lack of food. Due to the deficit in resources and health education, they also do not know how to prevent diseases from occurring.