Humanitarianism and Healing by Arpan Global Charities Volunteers at Hue in Vietnam June 12, 2024 Alert, General Arpan Global Charities 0 After four years of hiatus as result of unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, a team of 21 volunteers from CHOC Children’s and Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, completed a volunteer medical mission in Hue, Vietnam from April 8-12, 2024. This was the 24th mission organized by Arpan Global Charities (AGC), the twenty fourth of its kind in Vietnam and the 2nd at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HUMP) and Hue Central Hospital, aimed at providing essential medical care to underserved communities in the region. Mission Participants The dedicated team of 21 volunteers consisted of medical professionals from Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, and CHOC Children’s. The team included: 5 nurses: Alyssa Mendez, Jennifer Pillon, Kara Posthuma, Kira Sandifer and Patrice Robison 3 Surgeons: Drs. Paul Beck, Mustafa Kabeer, Brian Palafox 6 Physicians: Drs. Huong Thi Duong, Thomas Kim, Carole Kohen, Sudeep Kukreja, Amy Szyszko, Lan Weiss 2 EMTs: Mark Kim and William Phan 1 Pharmacist: Tony Phan 4 Non-Medical Volunteers: Svetlana Chernobravina, Leo Chernobravina, Maria Kabeer, Sr. Thuy Tran Mission Activities During the five-day mission in Hue, the team provided medical examination and treatment to over 400 underserved patients, encompassing both children and adults. Despite facing limitations in equipment and resources, the team’s surgeons performed 22 major orthopedic, pediatric surgical, and cardiothoracic procedures, significantly impacting the lives of the patients from this region. In line with the Arpan Global Charities' mission to provide education, team members delivered 25 educational lectures attended by residents and the faculty from HUMP. Additionally, Dr. Huong Thi Duong, an internist from St. Joseph Hospital, organized a two-day health fair where over 200 children and adults from nearby communities received free basic health assessments, education, medication and vitamin supplements. On the final day of the mission Sr. Thuy from St Joseph Hospital organized a visit to a school for disabled children supported by sisters of St. Joseph. AGC demonstrated its commitment to community support by donating funds to support the disabled children at this facility. Acknowledgements AGC extends its sincerest appreciation and deepest gratitude to every volunteer member of the team, as well as the CHOC Foundation and Masimo, Inc for their very generous donation of five Pulse ox/Hb monitors. Next Mission The next medical mission of Arpan Global Charities is scheduled in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 6 to 12, 2024. Anyone interested in participating in this mission, please contact Dr. Sudeep Kukreja at 714-585-1920 or at ArpanGlobal@gmail.com Comments are closed.