Footprints Project

A total of
2226
Travelers
donated
$6001.95
(100% funded)
to help improve
Health
in
Viet Nam

Project Overview

The 2009 Medical Trek was a great success. There were 45 participants on the trek: 29 American participants (5 doctors, the rest qualified nurses & medical students), 6 Vietnamese doctors from Hanoi and 10 Vietnamese volunteers as ground organizers/interpreters. Around 1,200 patients in the northern province of Hoa Binh’s Mai Chau District were treated over two weeks. For most of them, this was the first time to see doctor in their lives.

Footprints provided funding for locally purchased medical supplies that were carried into the highlands to set up the clinic.

Project activities and outcomes:

The trek participants were divided into two work groups:

1. Medical group

Healthcare professionals and students in health fields joined with Vietnamese physicians and nurses to deliver first aid and medical services.

They utilized the 1000's of items of medicine and equipment donated through this project to treat 1200 patients, many of whom had never seen a doctor. On one day, over 400 patients were seen to. Fortunately there wasn't a lot of trauma or emergency cases which might have required a higher level of care.

The medical supplies were all purchased locally in VietNam, creating a trickle effect throughout local businesses. The supplies included antibiotics, antibacterials, respiratory, diarrhoea and pain relief drugs.

2. Village development group

This group built and repaired a local kindergarten, a project that had been started prior to the trek arrival. In the last village, there was a hand-over ceremony in front a preschool with the joining of local villagers and children which marked the highlight of the trip.