ANNUAL REPORT 2010

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Ho ïc Mãi Foundation pHilosopHyThe key To improving healTh and healThcare in vieTnam is educaTion and Training.

WHo We areHo ïc Mãi, the australia Viêt nam Medical Foundation, is a non-profit organisation which was established in 2001 to improve medical education in Viêt nam. it is a foundation of the university of sydney that brings together the collective health care knowledge and experience of australia and Viêt nam in an educational partnership. the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation has a distinguished patron, Her excellency, professor Marie Bashir, ac. cVo. Governor of new south Wales.

our MissionWe aim To fosTer healThcare educaTion To improve healTh ouTcomes for The 85 million people living in viêT nam by:

– supporting a bilateral exchange of students and health professionals between australia and Viêt nam;

– assisting to develop an understanding of the methods of teaching doctors and nurses in Viêt nam by the ‘train the trainer’ program and scorpio technique;

– Facilitating the development of knowledge of the Viêt namese doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers to improve health care delivery to their people;

– developing a strong network of australian medical, nursing, technical and allied health staff who will provide on-going assistance and training of Viêt namese colleagues;

– providing practical assistance with preventative, diagnostic and management problems in hospitals in Viêt nam;

– increasing medical research skills in Viêt nam with the aim of using research to improve care

WHat We doWe faciliTaTe:

– education and ‘train-the-trainer’ programs in Viêt namese hospitals and universities – delegations travelling to Viêt nam to teach clinical skills and knowledge within various specialities in a number of hospitals in Viêt nam

We offer scholarships and felloWships To:

– young health professionals from Viêt nam to come to australia for advanced training – Medical, nursing, and allied health students from universities of sydney, Melbourne and tasmania to undertake clinical placements in Viêt nam

– Viêt namese medical students to broaden their hospital experience in australia – students in the Masters of international public Health from the university of sydney to undertake their praxis in Viêt nam

– support for medical research and training

HoW We WorkHo ïc Mãi relies on the goodwill of australian health care professionals to host and train their Viêt namese colleagues. We act as facilitators for Viêt namese and australian medical personnel to gain experience and understanding of issues in the developing world. We rely on grants and donations to support our program.

annual reporT 2010

ho ïc mãi 2010 highlighTs

Hoïc Mãi Banquet - a splendid ‘dinner with a difference’ – was held on 19 February

in april, under the leadership of dr ian Mcphee, two clinical surgical teams from tweed Heads hospital worked in danang Hospital as part of the danang/ tweed Heads clinical services project

ausaid australian leadership awards Grant – round 7 received allowing 25 Viêt namese Health professional and observe healthcare delivery in australia for 3 months between July to october

the Faculty of nursing and Midwifery (sydney nursing school) has continued its activities in Viêt nam in association with Hoïc Mãi in phase 2 of the unFpa funded project to improve the midwifery education in Viêt nam

due to funding from atlantic philanthropy to the Hoïc Mãi Foundation, professors kerry Goulston & kim oates were able to continue the project: ‘advanced Medical teaching at Ha noi Medical university’

increased number of australian and Viêt namese student scholarships offered

'Hoïc Mãi : improving Health care through research’ held in october 2010 at Ha noi Medical university

three seeding grants were awarded to novice researchers from Ha noi

2009 2nd year usyd Medical student fundraising function in november 2010; they raised enough money for a scholarship for their peers

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annual reporT 2010

those people involved in the Ho ïc Mãi program believe passionately in the sharing of knowledge and skills in health to improve the care of individuals. every year we grow the number of people involved in the program, every one of them benefitting from the experience and all making a tremendous contribution to people, to health care delivery and to education in health in Viêt nam.

this year, another group of talented Viêt namese health workers and brilliant young students experienced immersion in the australian health system and australian students in medicine, nursing, public health, allied health and dentistry experienced the resourcefulness our colleagues in Viêt nam apply to delivering education and care in an environment grappling with huge needs and limited resources.

Friendships have been formed that will endure as have those formed over the decade since we began our exchanges.

the program has been altered slightly this year to reflect a change in emphasis that has been endorsed by the Board. the structured teaching program provided to the Ho ïc Mãi, australian leadership award ausaid Fellows has continued to include training in research methodology which is enabling our colleagues to investigate the problems they face in Viêt nam and develop a logical, evidence foundation for solving them. likewise, our students have all developed research projects, supervised by their teachers in australia and Viêt nam to help them hone their research skills.

to further reinforce our desire to foster research skills we held our second research conference in Ha noi and sought applications from within Viêt nam for research proposals. these were intensely competitive, with 3 proposals being awarded a total of $usd20k for projects in aged care, diabetes management and identification of children with developmental delay. all proposals are lead by talented young Viêt namese

academics and have an australian mentor. next year we hope to increase the funding we provide for these projects in order to encourage new investigators to devote time and effort to developing solutions to some of Viêt nam’s health problems.

Ho ïc Mãi used two forms of funding, money and goodwill. the support of all clinicians and scientists in both australia and Viêt nam and the financial and moral support of both of our governments have been both critical and outstanding. in 2010, we also received support from atlantic philanthropies which has enabled our curriculum projects in medicine and nursing to gain momentum.

the support of donors has enabled additional scholarships for students and also enabled maintainance of a water purifications system at Ho ïc Mãi House/ Viet duc Hospital. clean purified water continues to be available for patients and staff at the house and hospital.

We welcomed three new council members in 2009/10, professor elizabeth elliot, Ms audrey Blunden, Ms nancy dolan and dr douglas Falconer.

in 2011, we will provide additional scholarship to both countries and aim to fund another Ho ïc Mãi House and well as continuing to develop and improve our many other projects.

your support and encouragement of the hundreds of people involved in Ho ïc Mãi is greatly appreciated particularly by patients, students and health professionals in Viêt nam.

professor bruce robinson chair Ho ïc Mãi Foundationdean, sydney Medical school, university of sydney

chair’s reporT for 2010

top to bottom

Professor Jonathan Morris receiveing the Hoïc Mãi Chair Award for 2009

The Australian Ambassador to Viêt Nam His Excellency Mr Allaster Cox and Professor Hinh at the Hoïc Mãi Conference October 2010

Ms Loan, Dr Duong, Dr Tu and Dr Ha

opposite

Children near Dien Bien Phu, Viêt Nam, where Ho ïc Mãi runs maternal and child health workshops for local health workers.

execuTive officer’s reporT 2010rHondda Glasson

2010 sTarT WiTh a bang and celebraTion – as They say!

a great team of loyal Ho ïc Mãi supporters (lead by Mr tom Moult) organised a very successful fundraising function in the Great Hall at the university of sydney. the Foundation was privileged and honoured that our patron, her excellency, professor marie bashir, ac, cvo, Governor of new south Wales, was able to join us. the function’s theme was ‘Forever learning’ and we enlisted a number of Vips to present to and entertain our guests. Julian Morrow continued to entertain us throughout the evening and with his skill it became a very entertaining and profitable evening for the Foundation.

there are many projects, programs and scholarship opportunities with the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation and most of them are outlined in this annual report. this work could not be done without the generosity of our donors, the support and goodwill of our Viêt namese and australian colleagues or the organisations they work in.

the australian student scholarship program continues to flourish and develop. in 2010, Ho ïc Mãi funded many students so they could experience health care delivery in Viêt nam:

1. university of sydney:

• eight second year medical students from all clinical schools

• Five third year medical students

• three nursing students

• three allied health students

• three Masters of international public Health students

• one dentistry student

2. other universities

• two medical students from university of Melbourne

• two medical students from university of tasmania

the 3rd year Medical students were required to undertake a small research project during their elective term in Viêt nam; the students developed these projects with the assistance of members of usyd faculty plus the assistance of a nominated supervisor in Viêt nam.

some of the second year medical students from 2009 held a very successful fundraising event in november – enough money was raised for a scholarship for one of their peers. Well done and many thanks!

the viêt namese medical students’ clinical placements were increased this year:

• three from Ha noi Medical university

• two from pham ngoc thanh university, HcMc

• one from university of Medicine and pharmacy, HcMc

• one from the dental Faculty of the university of Medicine and pharmacy, HcMc

We thank the northern and concord clinical schools and the dental school at Westmead for supporting this scholarship program.

July to october were very successful months for Hoïc Mãi; 25 Viêt namese Health professional came to study in australia with a hoïc mãi ausaid ala fellowship. this program continues to be very successful and is a much sort-after scholarship in Viêt nam.

in collaboration with Ha noi Medical university, we held a symposium ‘ho ïc mãi - improving health care through research’ in october. as part of this program, three seed funding grants were awarded to novice Viêt namese researchers to conduct projects with guidance from australian mentors. at this symposium, (at the risk of ‘blowing my own trumpet’), i was awarded the ‘people’s Health award’ for my services through Ho ïc Mãi to the Viêt namese people. i was presented this award by Madam professor nguyen thi Xuyen. this was, indeed, a great honour for me.

during this october trip, we also interviewed 85 health professionals as potential candidates for our 2011 fellowship program. We have submitted an application for the 2011 ausaid australian leadership awards program and if we are successful we will facilitate the educational opportunity for up to 25 of these candidates.

the role of executive officer continues to be very satisfying one, made so, by the people i work with. i would particularly like to thank dr dang van duong (Ho ïc Mãi Foundation national coordinator – Viêt nam), dr nguyen khac han hoan (tu du Hospital) and dr ho dac hanh (danang Hospital); working with them ensures that the in-country details and organisation continues to be efficient and effective.

i would also like to sincerely thank my australian colleagues/Ho ïc Mãi Volunteers who make the Foundation what it is.

it is wonderful to work closely with the many Viêt namese Health professionals who, on return home, offer support, guidance and practical knowledge to me; without them, Hoïc Mãi would not be as successful.

i wish Ho ïc Mãi well for 2011.

rhondda glasson

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execuTive officer’s reporT 2010rHondda Glasson

annual reporT 2010

The ho ïc mãi foundaTion Was aWarded funding Through The ausaid ausTralian leadership aWard (ala) program – round 7; This enabled The foundaTion To sponsor TWenTy five healTh professionals from viêT nam To parTicipaTe in a Three monTh felloWship program in ausTralia.

the Foundation would like to acknowledge and thank ausaid for its generous support which allowed us to expand and continue to develop this program.

these ala Fellowships are intended to expose Viêt namese doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health staff to aspects of the hospital system in australia as well as learn new concepts and techniques. the Fellows were selected from an outstanding pool of candidates who were interviewed in october 2009 by a committed group of Ho ïc Mãi volunteers. each candidate was chosen because of their leadership potential and all are expected to impart their newfound knowledge to colleagues and students back in Viêt nam.

applications were received from candidates from our partner organizations in Viêt nam:

danang

- danang city Hospital- danang university

hcmc

- tu du Hospital- cho ray Hospital- Hung Vuong Hospital- university of Medicine and pharmacy - pham ngoc thach university of

Medicine

ha noi

- Ha noi Medical university- Bach Mai Hospital- Viet duc Hospital- national Hospital for pediatrics- Ha noi Hospital of obstetric and

Gynecology

one of the main goals of the Ho ïc Mãi - australia Viêt nam Medical Foundation is to train potential health leaders from Viêt nam. as such, the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation has sponsored over 150 young Viêt namese health professionals for short term training in australia since 2001. this initiative places young health care workers (mainly doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists) in three

month training programs with appropriate health care professionals in australia.

this program would not be possible without the support of the hospitals and university departments who welcome our fellows. initially, the program commenced at royal north shore Hospital but rapidly expanded to include other major teaching hospitals and organizations including:

- royal prince alfred Hospital- Westmead Hospital - adults- concord Hospital- the children's Hospital at Westmead - university of sydney - iVF australia- tweed Heads Hospital.- sydney dental Hospital- sydney eye Hospital- royal Hobart Hospital, tasmania- royal children’s Hospital in Melbourne,

during their time in australia, the Fellows were linked with specialist medical, nursing or allied health teams who provided them with observational and practical training at the bedside, in the clinic, or in the operating theatre. emphasis was placed on teaching techniques and approaches to patient care which they are able to use on return to Viêt nam. each Fellow is required to design a project that would implement a change within their clinical workplace on return to Viêt nam.

in addition, the Fellows participated in a two day per week education program at the northern clinical school and we would like to sincerely thank all the northern clinical school staff for the assistance given to the Fellows and the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation. the aim of the education program was to focus on topic areas that would be of interest to all of the Fellows despite their varying backgrounds and expose them to different and modern adult learning techniques. the education program committee who were responsible for reviewing and updating the curriculum were: professor Jonathan Morris, professor stuart dunn, dr kirsty Foster, Ms Gillian nisbet and rhondda Glasson. Ms Gillian nisbet was employed for this ala program to coordinate and facilitate within the education program for the fellows for the 3 month period. this education program was a great success and made so by the assistance and expertise of the many tutors: dr kirsty Foster, professor david

osborne, dr Jane Hirst, professor Merrilyn Walton, dr Harvey lander, dr Mark ruff, Ms cathy adams, Ms Bernie Harrison, professor lyn March, dr Jann Foster, dr adrienne Gordon, dr catherine Hawke, Ms elizabeth piggott, Ms Monica cooper, Ms susanne lewis, Ms Julia philips, Ms sue Wulf, professor les schrieber, dr roger laurent, dr libby Bassett, Ms Joe-anne Bendall, dr paul Heinrich and professor stuart dunn.

the fellows also participated in a weekly english program with the ‘centre of english teaching and learning’ at the university of sydney.

overall, the Fellowship program was positively received by everyone involved and the evaluation process has been valuable in assessing what worked well and what can be improved in the future.

the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation is extremely grateful to the many people for devoting their time and effort assist the Fellows during their stay in 2010:

the primary supervisors - professor ian Mcphee, dr doug turner, Ms christine lassen – tweed Heads Hospital; professor peter illingworth and dr simon cooke – iVF australia; dr Bruno Giuffre, professor Jonathan Morris, dr Jane Hirst, professor John Vanderford, Ms stephanie tozer, Ms Jenny crane, dr david Vivers, dr david Bowers, dr sheryl Van nunen, Ms tracey Wittich, dr nick pavlakis, dr nirmal patel, dr Gin Mahli, professor sue ogle – royal north shore Hospital; professor david Harris – Westmead adults’ Hospital; professor Jill White, stuart newman, professor steve assinder,– university of sydney; professor david Handelman, associate professor Meng ngu - concord Hospital; professor peter Mccluskey, professor Frank Martin - sydney eye Hospital; professor stephen cox - sydney dental Hospital; and the many other health professionals involved in the Fellows' learning who are too numerous to name.

the skills and expertise of dr dilhani Bandaranayake ensured that the Foundation was able to demonstrate to ausaid that we were worthy of receiving the grant for this program from the ala program.

rhondda glasson

2010 hoïc mãi viêT namese healTh professionals felloWship program

8 hoïc mãi ausaid felloWs 2010

place of employment names clinical speciality clinical placement in australia australian supervisor/s

Bach Mai Hospital Ms do thi Hong loan international relations rnsH - skills centre Ms stephanie tozer

Bach Mai Hospital Ms duong thanh Hai - pharmacist clinical pharmacy rnsH Ms Jenny crane

Bach Mai Hospital - Hospital of otorhinolaryngology dr tran Huu tuan Head & neck surgery rnsH dr david Vivers

Bach Mai Hospital & HMu dr nguyen thi kim lien upper limb, spinal cord injury Management & rehabilitation

rnsH dr david Bowers

Bach Mai & HMu dr nguyen Van dinh allergy and clinical immunology rnsH dr sheryl van nunen

Bach Mai Hospital - national institute of Gerontology Ms nguyen thi thanh nhiem - nurse

nursing - aged care rnsH Ms tracey Wittich

Bach Mai Hospital & HMu dr Bui thi Huong Giang intensive care unit/adults royal Hobart Hospital tasmania dr Gillian Wilkinson, dr andrew turner, dr Marcus skinner

HMu/dental clinic dr nguyen anh tuan dentistry sydney dental school professors stephen cox / ali darendelier

HMu Mr Bui Vu Binh - nurse nursing - teaching usyd professor Jill White and Mr stuart newman

Viet duc dr nguyen duy Hung radiology rnsH dr Bruno Giuffre

Viet duc & HMu dr duong dinh toan trauma-orthopaedic surgery tweed Heads dr ian Mcphee & dr doug turner

Ha noi Hospital of obstetric and Gynaecology dr ngyuenthi thu Ha obstetrics & Gynaecology Westmead (iVF australia) dr simon cooke & professor peter illingworth

Ha noi university of pharmacy dr duong thi ly Huong pharmacology usyd professor steve assinder

national cancer institute dr phung Huyen thi Medical oncologist rnsH dr nick pavlakis

tu du Hospital dr phan thi Hanh Quyen obstetric and Gynaecology rnsH dr Jane Hirst and professor Jonathan Morris

tu du Hospital dr nguyen thi thanh tam obstetric and Gynaecology rnsH dr Jenny king, dr Jane Hirst and professor Jonathan Morris

Hung Vuong Hospital dr le dang khoa andrology concord professor david Handelsman

cho ray Hospital dr pham Van Hien nephrology/ dialysis Westmead - adults professor david Harris

pham ngoc thach university/children’s Hospital no1 dr Ho ngoc thuy Quynh otolaryngology surgery rnsH dr nirmal patel

pham ngoc thach university of Medicine & nguyen tri phuong Hospital

dr tran ngoc luu phuong Gastroenterology concord Hospital associate professor Meng ngu

university of Medicine & pharmacy/ psychiatric Hospital dr Ho nguyen yen phi psychiatry rnsH dr Gin Mahli

university of Medicine & pharmacy/thong nhat Hospital dr nguyen ngoc tu Geriatrics rnsH professor sue ogle

university of Medicine & pharmacy dr pham thi tuyet nga ophthalmology sydney eye Hospital professors peter Mccluskey / Frank Martin

danang Hospital dr nguyen Quoc Viet plastic surgery rnsH professor John Vandervord

danang university/nursing Faculty Ms phan thi Hoang ngan - nurse surgical nursing and education tweed Heads dr ian Mcphee & Ms christine lassen

annual reporT 2010

hoïc mãi ausaid felloWs 2010

dr. pham Thi TuyeT nga university of Medicine and pharmacy, HcMc

after three-month scholarship from Ho ïc Mãi Foundation, i find myself improved a lot in many aspects. thanks to the thursday and Friday curriculum, i can basically acquire eBM, clinical appraisal, teamwork skills, presentation skills and teaching skills. i can hardly forget the fun time participating the game toxic swamp and the dancing activities in teamwork lessons and learning procedure lessons in which we have to motivate ourselves and try our best to involve in and to make any progress.

regarding clinical placements, i learned with great supervisors as well as consultants and orthoptist. i had a great opportunity to observe in eyes on Macquarie clinics, sydney eye Hospital, children’s hospital Westmead in both clinics and theatres which helps me much in my specialty ophthalmology. What makes me impressed the most is the warm welcome and helpfulness from people in Ho ïc Mãi staff and my supervisors in specific and aussi people in general. the person closest to us is Ms. rhondda who always shows her great care and makes us feel warmer when she carefully takes every fellow to their clinical placements and asks questions such as “are you ok”? How’s your hospital? if you have any problem, please let me know…”. after 3 months, my english improves a lot. Further, i have a chance to learn from other fellows working skills and skills to live in a community. i also had the chance to meet a lot of people. last but not least, exploring beautiful sydney in weekends relaxes and refreshes my mind a lot so that i can regain energy to continue the study and hard work. i am so grateful and i would like to thank all people in Ho ïc Mãi foundation. i hope that many other health professionals in Viêt nam have the great opportunity to study under Ho ïc Mãi fellowship as i did.

duong Thi ly huong Ha noi university of pharmacy

it is hard to believe that i live so far from australia. three-month time living and studying passes quickly, leaving me an unforgettable memory. i would like to thank Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for giving me a huge opportunity to approach to innovation healthcare system. i am especially impressed with teamwork officers in taking care patients; they combine together professionally and rhythmically. i also have learnt a lot from writing a project. it helps

me to arrange idea logically, practice writing formally and improve presentation skills. last but not least, i never forget the beautiful scenery of sydney with well-known places like opera House, Harbour Bridge, Manly beach, coogee beach, taronga Zoo…

i hope to have another chance to come back to australia with longer time to discover more about this beautiful country.

le dang khoa department of infertility, Hung Vuong Hospital

according to Viêt nam committee for population and family planning, we have 1,000,000 infertile couples. close up to 10% of them need sperm donors because of male factors. sperm bank is a great option for them. unfortunately, we don’t have a “real sperm bank”. all Viêt nam iVF centers only have sperm storage function and are starved of sperm donors. so the patients have to find and buy sperm from the “black market”. it’s illegal and the patients suffer from medicosocial hazards in the future (stds, legal proceeding…). those are the issues what are happening in Viêt nam and my desire was to learn something from other developing countries in this field. after i applied for this fellowship twice, my dream comes true.

under the instruction of andrology dpartment of concord hospital, i had a precious opportunity for learning and enriching my knowledge and experience in sperm bank management. My homesickness rapidly replaced by an engagement in many activities (clinical examinations, research meeting…). i hope my knowledge gained from your health care systems may help our poor infertile men become the fathers of healthy children.

in addition, i took part in a weekly education program. it provided me modern learning and teaching techniques so that i can expand and continue to develop my projects when i return to Viêt nam.

Moreover, i will never forget professor Bruce robinson, rhondda Glasson and everyone devoting their time and enthusiasm to this program.

now it’s time to say goodbye to all my dear australia friends and colleagues. i am looking forward to get back to australia as well as new cooperation in future.

felloWs reflecTions

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dr nguyen Thi kim lien

Bach Mai Hospital

i went to sydney, began with cold of winter and had to live away from my country while my son was two year old. the place i study is royal north shore Hospital. i was very surprised with advanced infrastructures that have been established in here. the medical officers in hospital especially the spinal unit have worked enthusiastic and they never forget to express their affable smile with patients. one patient is able to have great supports from team work such as: doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers, and dieticians. they do all the best for their patients and provide them with the most optimal conditions. on the other hand, every patient also has their own code with patients’ stickers helping hospital’s staffs easily find any documents they want through computers.

i saw australian doctors have meeting everyday at noon so as to keep their knowledge acquisition up to date instead of taking a short rest in the middle of the day. a little bit embarrassed and difficult initially, i was getting used to the working style in rnsH.

i experienced six weeks of being a doctor in spinal unit in rnsH where i learnt many significantly profitable knowledge. in addition i had the opportunity to observe nursing and therapy aspects of spinal cord rehabilitation in the ward and therapy area. the occupation therapy area made a strong impression on me. in my country, we have not got the training school for the occupation therapists, so in my opinion, it is necessary for my rehabilitation centre to have an occupation therapist from rnsH who will help us to improve the knowledge for our therapist about sci patients’ hand function, how to use the hand correctly.

australian medical system has brought a lot of advantages for people to be taken care here. every australian people irrespective of their classes or incomes could be treated in australian public hospitals without paying any fees. Moreover, the medical system has a great deal of services for elderly and disable people from transportation services to hostels, nursing homes… they could satisfy any requirements in taking care for disable people.

Medical files in australian public hospitals are organized differently from ours; they have implemented the national inpatient Medication chart in combination with the use of some specialty charts which i regard as an absolutely effective way to expedite best practice in all aspects of the medication management. Besides, hospital’s computers have been installed a system to provide results and integrated patient management data via which clinicians can access patients’ information including laboratory tests and images with detailed graphical information. it is such a considerably time-saving system.

Beside above things, i was suitably arranged to observer in rnsH by dr Bowers who was very enthusiastic, polite and thoughtful. He spends much time in teaching for registrar, intern doctor and i.

in there, i am really interesting with 2 problems, which are the pain and the upper limb for stroke patients. so that, dr Bower tried to contact with some doctors in the pain management in rnsH and rehabilitation department in Hornsby ku ring gai, it was lucky for me, dr Brooker in rnsH and dr cesar uy in Hornsby ku ring Gai Hospital who were very enthusiastic. i hope that i will have a time to come back here to study these problems more clearly as soon as possible.

also, i can find and borrow some books and update journals in the library in rnsH. i tried to read them whenever i have a free time because in my country we are lack of the new books and documents. i wish, i can receive the sci and stroke journals every month, in which have the newest information about sci and stroke’s care and rehabilitation so i can apply for treatment the sci and stroke patients in my country.

outside hospital, i tried to spend most of my free time on visiting places of excellent beauty and high culture attraction in sydney - the first most populous city in australia. australian people are really friendly and highly voluntary in complying with the law.

thanks to Ho ïc Mãi foundation, thanks to the great support from ausaid who give me this wonderful opportunity to open my eye in a developed country‘s hospital. thank all of members in royal north shore Hospital, who helped me a lot in sydney.

phan Thi hoang ngan

i left Viêt nam for my dream country australia with my shortly 3 months training course. sydney welcomes us in not so harsh winter and we felt warm zeal by the Ho ïc Mãi foundation’s care in the first day.

tweed Heads is final destination in my itinerary and my work place the tweed Hospital not only does health care but also practical hospital of Bond, Griffith and southern cross universities. in there, i realize that with me everything now begins. Medical staff in general and nursing staff in particular are people who have many experiences, they are better than me both of old age and professional years.

My supervisor dr ian Mcphee helped me set up study plan at pediatrics, orthopedic and Medical unit. through relationships i got much precious experiences from proficient colleague staff as well as communication by english. those staff ward asked me about differences in medical field between australia and Viêt nam, i was confident and said that our basic knowledge required at university is the same at each country; however our working condition is not good as australia.

i also had opportunities to contact with some nursing professor from Queensland university of technology and school of Health and Human science, southern cross university to refer to nursing curriculum as well as their support and manage student. the most importance is our relationship will be kept in touch when i return to Viêt nam so that i will receive meaning support for our nursing curriculum.

i would like to express my thankfulness to Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for giving me a chance to get some new awareness in australia health system. i also deeply thank to dr ian Mcphee, Ms rhondda Glasson for their great support in create my relation, and my australian friends whom always stand by and help me every time i need. the time in australia was really nice memory that i will never forget.

dr pham van hien

cho ray Hospital

there is something which i thought that it is difficult to do but it happens. When i graduated at Medicine university i though that everything is perfect but i have worked, i always faced a lot of problems. all things happens it just look like i go to the dark. When i found Ho ïc Mãi scholarship the first time i think it very difficult to get it but this is opportunity for me to find

felloWs reflecTions continued

annual reporT 2010

felloWs reflecTions continued

the light at the end of tunnel. Finally, the power has happened. i have received this scholarship.

i come to australia with lots of aspiration and full of pulling strings for patients to solve the problems. i always think i try to do best helping my patients especially my country. this is a small example which i am gained home haemodialysis. When i stayed in Viêt nam i thought that it is difficult to do because patients could not be taught the necessary practical skills. the experience which i have gained in australia has changed my mind. i am vey happy when i find the evidence of my own eyes. Besides with knowledge about medicine, i have also gained the independent living skills.

thank you, Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for giving me an opportunity to open my mind. i will use to all my knowledge which i have get in australia to help my country in general patient and patients in particular. i am very happy when i receive a certificated letter “2010 Foundation ausaid fellowships”. this is a good memory which i never forget.

Finally, i want to thank australia government, Ho ïc Mãi Foundation program, Westmead hospital, and regional dialysis centre in Blacktown helping my during i am staying in australia.

dr nguyen Quoc vieT

danang city Hospital

With the support of Ho ïc Mãi Foundation, i have felt very happy to be in sydney to study and to get the experiences about plastic and reconstructive surgery. plastic and reconstructive surgery is still a developing field in Viêt nam, and the Burns and plastic reconstructive department is a young unit at da nang Hospital. We often admit patients who have severe disease making it very difficult to cure them

even just only 12 weeks fellowship, but it was an interesting period of time for me. i have spent three months working in the Burns and plastics department, royal north shore Hospital, new south Wales, australia. during that time i have learned many new techniques about plastic and reconstructive surgery from my clinical placement supervisor (dr John Vandervord) and other consultants (dr. robert Gate, dr. nicholas lotz, dr. Megan Hassall and dr Michael Miroshnik)

Firstly, i realized that most of the cases in the Burns and plastic unit, royal north shore Hospital are similar to those i see in my department in da nang city General Hospital, Viêt nam. there are many types of patients who came to the hospital for treatment including those with burns, skin cancer, microtia (small ear), and breast defects after mastectomy and chronic buttock ulcers after spinal injury.

i was also fortunate to go to the other private hospitals such as Hunter Hill Hospital, private royal north shore Hospital in sydney with dr John Vandervord, dr Megan Hassall, dr robert Gate to assist for operation in some cases as breast reduction, ear reconstruction, especially breast reconstruction with free traM flap. they performed the amazing procedures to help patients have a better appearance as well as function.

particularly, the experience that i have gotten in sydney is very usable for me to apply to my department in da nang Hospital when i turn back Viêt nam. and i now feel more confident to perform these procedures to help my patients in the future.

in addition, i also spent my weekend time to travel and discover many places in australia. a wide country has many modern cities, pretty beaches, beautiful landscapes with the multi-ethnic and cultural areas. it was wonderful for me to experience and understand another country, people, culture.

Finally, i would like to give my thank to Ho ïc Mãi, the australia Viêt nam Medical Foundation gave me a good opportunity to update my experience in sydney. i also strongly thank Ms rhondda Glasson, My supervisor: dr. John Vandervord, some consultants: dr. robert Gate, dr. nicholas lotz, dr. Megan Hassall, dr. Michael Miroshnik), Gillian nisbet who have been interested in me to make me integrate into the clinical placement as well as life in sydney.

top to bottom

Ms Phan Thi Hoang Ngan at Tweed Heads hospital

Dr Pham Van Hien

Professor John Vandervord & Dr Nguyen Quoc Viet

ALA Fellows 2010

12

from ha noi medical universiTy, sepTember 2010 To June 2011

this course teaches a small, selected group of highly talented recent Ha noi Medical university (HMu) medical graduates to provide them with an advanced course which will expand their medical horizons and increase their clinical skills. it was developed in consultation with senior academics at HMu and will be taught in english at their request. the young doctors who complete this course will be well-equipped to become academic leaders in Viêt nam.

the course consists of:

1) an advanced 12-month Medical curriculum taught at HMu.

2) a two week immersion in enhanced clinical teaching held in sydney.

the curriculum will cover 15 areas which are essential for future healthcare in Viêt nam and which are not widely taught at present.

• communication skills,

• effective clinical handover,

• How to assess clinical skills,

• presenting a history and physical examination,

• patient management plans,

• improving performance through feedback,

• ethics and professionalism,

• developing learning outcomes for students,

• evidence Based Medicine,

• Medical errors,

• literature searching,

• publishing: What editors look for,

• Medical statistics,

• research methods,

• presentation skills,

Fifty potential participants in the course were chosen by professor Hinh, the rector of HMu, on the basis of their academic record and ability to speak english. in July, these 50 were interviewed by kim oates, owen dent and kerry Goulston using a new structured interview format devised by owen dent. the 31 candidates selected come from a wide range of specialities and include one medical student and one nurse. all were considered to be among the future leaders in Viêt namese medicine.

six times each year two academic clinicians will travel to HMu to teach an intensive one-week block in one or more of the subjects listed above. two visits have been completed. presentations were interactive and included role play with the course participants.

a pre-test/post-test is used for all teaching sessions. at the conclusion of the entire course a test will be given based on all of the previously administered tests.

For the first visit, pre-test total ranged from 3 to 7 with a mean of 5.3. post-test scores ranged from 5 to 7, (Wilcoxon p <0.001), indicating an improvement in knowledge following teaching.

Feedback from the first two visits has been enthusiastic.

an additional component to the september visit was a course in Medical english which was made available to a wider group. the Medical english course teachers paid all of their own expenses.

teachers & students: Medical english course september 2010

teachers: tony Broe, ron Barr, robert read, Jonathan page, owen dent, kerry Goulston and kim oates.

professors kerry goulston & kim oates

advanced medical Teaching for TalenTed graduaTes

top to bottom

Medical graduates - Ha Noi Medical Universities

Dr Dang Van Duong - Hoïc Mãi Co-ordinator Viêt Nam

Professor Kerry Goulston and Professor Jill White

annual reporT 2010

in February, dr linh, a Gynaecology-oncology specialist in charge of the national cervix cancer screening programme from the k Hospital, Ha nol was sponsored by Ho ïc Mãi to visit royal north shore Hospital. Via - visual inspection and acetic acid - is being introduced rather than pap smears for screening in Viêt nam as it can be undertaken in the provincial medical centres without medical supervision, but with onward referral if an abnormality is detected. she had discussions with the cancer council nsW about HpV screening and with prof lyndal travena of the school of public Health about her experiences with cervical cancer screening in india.

in october, prof Graeme Morgan spoke at the national cancer conference in Ha noi on 'improving and expanding radiotherapy services in low resource countries'. He also spoke with the Viêt nam atomic energy institute about the need for formal training of the radiation workforce. in the past it has been very difficult to get

support for training programmes, but this now appears to have changed.

in March 2011, a scoping Visit to Viêt nam by radiation therapy technologists (rtts), radiation oncology Medical physicists (roMps) and nuclear Medicine technologists (nMts) will be undertaken with a view to understanding the needs for training, registration and cpd of the radiation workforce professionals and how Ho ïc Mãi can provide further input.

in early February 2011, a Ho ïc Mãi senior rtt will be spending 12 months working alongside rtts in the four radiotherapy departments in Ha noi.

later in the year another Ho ïc Mãi rtt is likely to be funded to visit and work alongside rtts in the radiotherapy departments in Ho chi Minh city.

a lecture and hands-on teaching courses by radiation oncologists is proposed for early september 2011 with visits to HcMc, Hue and Ha noi.

dr graeme morgan

radiaTion oncology services proJecT

i am much honored to be recipient of Hoïc Mãi Foundation scholarship. your generous support helped me to get involved better to Viêt nam cancer control program.

Being a Gynecology oncologist i have been working with Viêt namese cervical and Breast cancer patients for many years who are in advanced stage when admitted hospital. patients usually have invasive carcinoma that impacts seriously to mortality.

according to data from department of state statistic, 46% of labour force is women in Viêt nam.

until now, nation-wide cervical screening program has been conducted partially in Viêt nam. the majority technique has been used is conventional pap test. it requires lot of materials financial issues and has not been widely applied.

an effective cervical screening has been demonstrated in another country, india and succeeds to death reduction of cervical cancer is Via. (Visual inspection acid acetic). i had dreamed to learn about technique and result interpretation. your support helps me to learn many practices in four weeks in royal north shore Hospital in sydney.

i had spent time at Gynecology oncology clinic, clinic 9 in royal north shore Hospital. i found that Via and colposcopy can show the very early lesion on cervix

such as the typical punctuation in cin. i also distinguished the benign changes in transformation zone and suspected lesions on cervix. patient do not need to be panic with such cin 2, cin 3 as treatment include leep, conization are available and conducted by excellent gynecology specialists.

i had also participated in gynecology conference weekly and had learnt experiences from colleagues in cervical cancer management and other gynecological diseases as well. dr lyndal from faculty of medicine in sydney university showed me around the cancer registration office and i had talked wonderfully with a person from pap registry. it is my experience i will apply for the cervical screening in Viêt nam.

the multi disciplinary breast conference in royal north shore Hospital and breast clinic were interesting that i updated knowledge for breast cancer treatment. professor Morgan is excellent supervisor who gave me support to fulfill my practice when i go back to Viêt nam.

Finally, the kind assist of Ms rhondda for accommodation, registration with hospital and other relating issues when i was in sydney make me feel that i have been in home.

thanks to organization such as yours, what i experienced will hand over to my colleagues and will contribute significantly to our cancer control program in Viêt nam.

linh nguyen, md, mscdepartment of Breast surgery

coordinator of Women cancer prevention

Viêt nam cancer Hospital (k hospital)

14

i am a young doctor working at internal Medicine department of Hue college of Medicine and pharmacy. i am following a post-graduate formation to become a neurologist. With the help of Ho ïc Mãi, especially Mrs rhondda Glasson, i have been fortunate to have an opportunity to study in australia for 6 weeks. although it was a short time, that was the most enjoyable and memorable period in my life. during 6 weeks i focused my time on observation at neurology department, royal north shore Hospital, under the supervision of professor Geoffrey k. Herkes.

this is the first time i go abroad to study, so everything is not easy for me. at first i felt so nervous, but that feeling disappeared quickly after i met prof. Geoffrey Herkes. He is very kind, friendly and enthusiastic. He took me to walk around and introduce me to everybody. He showed me things that i should participate in and observe.

every day, i do the ward rounds with the doctors in neurology, dr John parratt a neurologist consultant, dr niel simon and dr Billy o’Brient (registrar), dr Brandon and James (intern), and others. on each tuesday and Friday, i spend time on observing in neurogenectic clinic and multiple sclerosis clinics. i learnt more from them, not only their knowledge but also their behavior, the way they communicate with patients. they spend more times for their patients, and i found that they are very patient to listen to the patients’ complaint, answer patients’ questions and explain everything they do for the patients from

testing to medications in detail. they are very busy but they are always friendly and enthusiastic. they are willing to help me and answer my every question. i think that their active, scientific and disciplined way of working have good impact on me. each week on Wednesday afternoon, they hold a meeting to discuss the difficult and exciting case and a radiology meeting on Wednesday morning. i learnt from it a lot. i know know how limited my knowledge is and what i should do to keep pace with the colleagues in developed country. this will give me a motivation to learn and work better.

another thing that impressed me was there are not only doctors and nurses in each department but also other medical officers; those are physiotherapist, dietitian, pharmacist, occupational therapist, social workers. they work together to take care completely the patients. every week they have a multidisciplinary meeting to discuss their patients. Besides the medical staff at hospital they also have the home team to help and care for the patients after discharge. i think all things are very fantastic and i hope one day, these things will be in Viêt nam.

i would like to thank Ho ïc Mãi for giving me an opportunity to approach developed health care system, an opportunity to have a great time to visiting the beauty of the landscapes of sydney. i am also thankful to dr Herkes, dr parratt, dr niel, dr Billy, James, Brandon and two medical students, elain and anthony for helping me during the time i was in rnsH.

dr Tran Thi phuoc yenHue uniVersity Hospital

i am a neurosurgeon working in the Hue university Hospital, Hue college of Medicine and pharmacy, Hue city, Viêt nam. i would like to thank Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for giving me a chance to do a 3-month fellowship in the centre for Minimally invasive neurosurgery of prince of Wales private hospital, randwick, new south Wales, australia.

i did a very fruitful fellowship with my supervisor, dr charles teo, a very well-known neurosurgeon. during my stay in his centre, i observed a lot of operation. i often came home late, even at midnight because he operated on a lot of patients. i certainly felt tired after a busy day but i enjoyed it very much. i was eager to go to the

hospital every day because a lot of useful lessons waited for me there. My supervisor is famous in the world for minimally invasive neurosurgery. this kind of surgery is very beneficial but it has not been widely applied in Viêt nam.

three months is too short to comprehend it but at least i mastered its philosophy. i will apply what i was trained here in my hospital after returning to Viêt nam. i learned not only from my supervisor but also from the other fellows coming from different countries including united states, Britain, italy, Japan in this centre. i feel lucky and proud to be a member of such an international team.

dr Truong van TriHue uniVersity Hospital

above

Dr Truong Van Tri (fourth from left)

above

From the left: Dr Niel Simon (registrar), Anthony (medical student), Dr Tran Thi Phuoc Yen, James and Brandon (interns).

Dr John Parratt & Dr Tran Thi Phuoc Yen

annual reporT 2010

dr Tran Thi phuoc yenHue uniVersity Hospital

the development of diabetes in pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes (GdM), can have lasting impact on the mother and her child. GdM is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth, birth trauma and breathing problems in the newborn. For the mother, her chance of developing diabetes later in life is greatly increased.

GdM has been identified it as an emerging problem in Ho chi Minh city. evidence for screening and treatment of gestational diabetes comes mostly from western countries, and in Viêt nam resources are limited and the prevalence is thought to be higher. local evidence on the best way to screen for and manage GdM is lacking in Viêt nam.

in 2010 the first steps were taken to establish research collaboration between Ho ïc Mãi and the Hung Vuong Maternity Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with the university of Medicine and pharmacy in Ho chi Minh city. the first collaborative project aims to determine the incidence, outcomes and knowledge of patients with gestational diabetes in Ho chi Minh city. this study involves interviewing and screening over 2000 women for GdM, and following these women until birth.

this project has been by led by myself, dr Jane Hirst, obstetrician and phd candidate university of sydney, and dr tran son thach, an obstetrician and immediate past director of the hospital and has been supervised by prof Heather Jeffery. dr thach hopes to encourage more young Viêt namese doctors to become involved in clinical research projects. Ho ïc Mãi generously supported him to travel to sydney in september for a series of meetings with prof Heather Jeffery, prof Jonathan Morris, prof Bruce robinson and myself to discuss potential areas for collaboration and plan the first major

research project. these meetings were followed in october with a visit to Hung Vuong Hospital by prof Jeffery and myself who met with senior medical staff and finalised an Mou between the university of sydney and Hung Vuong Hospital.

the gestational diabetes study commenced in december 2010, and is hoped will be completed in 2011. this collaboration has already enabled notre dame medical student Jane Bartels and Master of international Health candidate shamini ramoo to conduct affiliated smaller studies at Hung Vuong, and it is hoped this will enable more australian and Viêt namese students to become involved in research in the future.

this GdM project has been made possible through the prime Minister's australia asia endeavour award, which has supported my living and research expenses in Ho chi Minh city. the university of sydney international development program, the sydney Medical school and the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation have supported the establishment of research collaboration. dr shamini ramoo is supported by a Ho ïc Mãi MipH scholarship.

dr Jane hirst

hoïc mãi maTernal and child healTh program

top to bottom

Staff collecting data for study

Babies at Hung Vuong Hospital HCMC

Dr Thach leading a focus group

Dr Jane Hirst & baby

right

Dr Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam and Dr Jane Hirst

When sWeeT pregnancies go sour: The effecTs of gesTaTional diabeTes in ho chi minh ciTy

16

as part of the ongoing collaboration between Hoc Mai and the dien Bien phu provincial hospital in north-west Vietnam, a team from sydney and Vietnamese doctors acting as interpreters ran a successful workshop at the hospital in June.

seven doctors and seventeen midwives from all districts of the province participated in the interactive, practical learning and teaching sessions. each of the three days of the workshop focused on a different locally agreed priority area of pregnancy and birth care - post-partum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia and management of preterm labour. these conditions account for the high maternal mortality in the remote area of this mountainous province. there is a high ethnic population who are nomadic adding significant challenges for delivery of adequate antenatal intra and post-partum care.

one of the most satisfying aspects of this visit was the evidence of collaboration that has developed. Having hosted and participated in five Hoc Mai workshops 2005, everyone involved has learned a great deal. under the leadership of dr duc son, the director, all staff at the provincial hospital were very welcoming and enthusiastic about the workshop and keen to show us what they had learned about teaching methods from our previous visits. the June 2010 workshop was an integral part of a four-week long immersive experience which had been arranged to give midwives and doctors from referral hospitals across the province, an opportunity to work with their provincial hospital colleagues. in addition, a six-month course for twenty student midwives from villages across the province had just started at the hospital. it incorporated similar hands-on, interactive methods to Hoc Mai workshops and was planned and run by local hospital personnel. assisting the provincial hospital to assume responsibility for providing continuing professional education is a major aim of the dien Bien phu Maternal and child Health project and these developments mark a significant step towards that goal.

a focus group discussion was held on each

morning of the course to ascertain the participants’ knowledge and experience of the day’s topic. current practice in identifying and managing women affected and in implementing any prevention strategies was explored. discussing actual cases of each of the conditions gave the australian tutors a graphic perspective on the difference between midwifery and obstetric practice in sydney and the situation in dien Bien phu. this was invaluable in helping the tutors to pitch the teaching appropriately but it also set the tone for interactivity between tutors, participants and interpreters. these sessions, and an end of course group discussion conducted at the end of the workshop, are the data for a formal study of medical education in a rural area of a developing country. (ethics approval from sydney university Human research ethics committee, protocol number 12844).

practical skills relevant in the three topic areas were taught each morning using the scorpio method. in the afternoons participants were assessed to ensure that they could carry out the skills and given an opportunity to apply their expertise in ‘managing’ a number of scenarios in teams. demonstrations of how to manage an emergency such as a woman with a severe postpartum haemorrhage or an eclamptic fit were also given. structuring the workshop in this way gives flexibility to deal with the varying levels of previous knowledge and skill often evident among participants in this setting.

on this occasion the australian tutors were the first westerners that some of the participants had ever seen. the creation of a friendly and non-threatening ambience for the workshop, always a Hoc Mai priority, was therefore especially important. thanks to the experience and skill of the tutors this was successfully achieved and the workshop evaluation was overwhelmingly positive.

through the focus groups, information about operational difficulties in implementing government policy in the more remote parts of the province were discovered.

For example, although iron tablets are recommended for every pregnant woman, some remote areas have not received government supplies for more than three years. this is frustrating for health workers who know the policy but cannot implement it. severe anaemia is common among the women of dien Bien phu province and unless detected and treated during pregnancy, any bleeding during or after the birth may be harmful or even fatal. providing advice and assistance to the authorities to overcome the barriers to sustained implementation of health policy in challenging circumstances is another way in which Hoc Mai can help. on this occasion the hospital director agreed to investigate the issue.

an additional aspect of the visit was that it further cemented Hoc Mai’s relationship with dr son and his staff at dien Bien phu provincial hospital. it is a privilege to work alongside people of such commitment to their population and we too can learn much from their hard work and determination in the face of a myriad of difficulties we simply do not have in australia. the Foundation’s continued support through education to help dr son and his team tackle the various challenges they face in ensuring provision of the best care to the women, children and families across the whole of dien Bien phu province is crucial.

The sydney team: professor Jonathan Morris, dr kirsty Foster, Ms cathy adams, dr Jane Hirst and Ms Jenny Mathew.

interpreters: dr nguyen tien dzung (unFpa Ha noi), dr Huong dong chuong & dr nguyen Hu Quan (Bac Mai Hospital Ha noi), & dr dong nguyen nuu (danang).

acknowledgements: in sydney: Ms Jenny stuart for administrative support, Ms philippa d’Halluin for design, dr dang thu Ha & dr nguyen tien dzung for translation of course materials.

in dien bien phu: dr luong duc son and dr le kien ngai for pre-course preparation and support during workshop

maTernal healTh Workshop dien bien phu 2 – 4 June 2010

hoïc mãi maTernal and child healTh program continued

2010 inTernaTional program developmenT fund : developing The capaciTy of The microbiology laboraTory aT dien bien phu provincial hospiTal

monica m lahra, elizabeth J elliott, peter c mcminn, heather e Jeffery with emily J bek

annual reporT 2010

project outline: developing the capacity of the dien Bien phu provincial Hospital Microbiology laboratory by providing equipment, consumables, education and training and educational resources to enable it to operate as a diagnostic service. in the longer term this will provide epidemiological data to inform the Ho ïc Mãi Maternal child Health clinical education program and the opportunity for collaborative research about infectious diseases involving Viêt namese and australian research teams.

in late 2009 eJe, HeJ, MMl along with dr Jane Hirst and dr Gaston arnolda conducted clinical teaching in dBp and tuan Giao Hospitals. part of this program focused on the diagnosis and management of acute diarrhoea in infants and children, and the role of laboratory diagnosis was included as an introduction to this project.

in 2010 our team made two visits to dBp and one to Ha noi to support and supervise the training of two dBp Hospital Microbiology scientists in the Microbiology laboratory at the national Hospital for paediatrics in Ha noi

in March a visit to the dBp Hospital Microbiology laboratory by MMl, pcM and eJB was undertaken to meet the staff, discuss and assess their needs and determine the level of function of the laboratory and the existing infrastructure. during this visit we were hosted by dr son, the director of dBp Hospital, and met with the deputy director dr trien and the Head of Microbiology Mrs son. priority needs identified were a Biological safety cabinet to create a safer work place and the need for a computer for record keeping and data management, internet access and a camera to enable video conferring with the training institution and our team. power sources and back up supply systems were investigated and preferred placement sites for equipment were identified.

in august we (MMl, eJB) visited dBp to meet with dr son and staff and to deliver a laptop computer with a Viêt namese keyboard, software, relevant supportive texts, a mouse, external hard drive, web camera, cooling pad, and lock. the training to be held in december was discussed and appropriate staff members were subsequently selected to participate in the training. a class ii Bsc was ordered from a local company, and the cabinet was delivered and installed on the 24th of december.

training for two dBp Hospital Microbiology scientists (dr nguyen thi Minh khuyen and dr luong thi thao) was conducted at nHp dept Microbiology in december, arranged and supervised by our team (MMl, pcM, eJB) with the support of the director of nHp dr lien and conducted by Ms phung thi Bieh thuy. it was identified that the dBp staff needed training in laboratory safety, working in a Bsc, and the diagnosis of rotavirus infection in faeces using latex particle agglutination assays. Further training is planned in 2011 and beyond with the support of the nHp.

laboratory diagnosis will be incorporated into our planned clinical teaching for 2011.

We would like to thank our Viêt namese colleagues dr son and his staff at dBp Hospital and dr lien kien ngai infectious diseases physician at nHp for his excellent advice, help and translation during these visits.

hoïc mãi maTernal and child healTh program continued

top to bottom

Delivering computer to DBP Aug10

Monica Lahra Emily Beck and Peter McMinn at DBP March 2010

Visit to DBP lab March 2010

18

in early March 2010, a delegation from Ha noi Medical university (HMu) lead by professor nguyen duc Hinh (rector) visited sydney nursing school (sns) to introduce a potential consultancy; for sns to develop and implement an advanced 4 year nursing education program at HMu, based on the Bachelor of nursing curriculum at sns. professor Hinh stated that HMu had received formal support for the project from the Viêt nam Government and that the project formed part of a national agenda to implement at least 30 advanced training programs in a number of universities in Viêt nam.

the overarching aim of the project was for sns to work in a capacity building role with HMu to establish a Bn leading to eligibility for registration as a nurse in Viêt nam, but of a higher standard than the current HMu course. the project objectives were agreed from the outset and reflected the intention of sns and HMu to work collaboratively to (inter alia):

(i) develop and implement a Bn based on the sns curriculum framework that will meet regional requirements and international standards;

(ii) build on existing teaching / learning / research resources within HMu (including library facilities and clinical laboratories) to maximise student learning consistent with international standards;

(iii) expand existing educational administration and related infrastructure (including policies / procedures and records management) to align practices with institutions of international standing;

(iv) develop and implement an appropriate internal and external quality assurance system appropriate for an institution of international standing; and,

subsequent meetings were held at HMu in late May and october, following which a final proposal was developed and costed. it was proposed that HMu implement the sns Bn with minor reconfiguration / redevelopment to take account of regional requirements while at the same time offering a degree commensurate with internationally recognised educational

standards in nursing. the proposed degree structure contained 90% of the sns Bn curriculum and utilised the same theoretical and pedagogical framework but was to be offered and badged by HMu. the project was for a five (5) year term with the option of extension (subject to funding and finalisation of contractual agreements).

the dean of sydney nursing school, professor Jill White, had agreed that sns would license the Bn curriculum framework, relevant courseware and any intellectual property charges associated with the curriculum to HMu through the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation and at zero cost to HMu. While HMu had received some funding from the Viêtnamese Government, the subsequent project costs could not be fully met by this funding. in addition, at the october meeting at HuM, professor Hinh outlined changes to the funding received from the Viêt namese Government in relation to this project. a rider had been introduced which stipulated that monies could only be used for infrastructure development (in relation to any project) and could not be used for payment of offshore involvement (vis-à-vis consultancy, teaching staff etc.). professor Hinh reaffirmed his wish to work with sydney nursing school and requested that sns consider the possibility of obtaining funding for their portion of the project costs.

subsequent to the meeting, a number of options were explored in relation to funding the sns component of the project including potential ausaid involvement. However, HMu with the assistance of sns) was unable to secure additional funding and consequently, the project in its current form was abandoned in december 2010.

sns continues to maintain a general Memorandum of understanding with HMu and while this project did not come to fruitition, will continue to support the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation Fellowship program and would welcome the opportunity to work with HMu again should circumstances change.

professor Jill White mr stuart newman

sydney nursing school / ha noi medical universiTy BacHelor oF nursinG proJect deceMBer 2010

above

Professor Jill White

Professor Stuart Newman and Professor Hinh signing in the MOU with Sydney Nursing School – May 2010

annual reporT 2010

sydney nursing school / ha noi medical universiTy BacHelor oF nursinG proJect deceMBer 2010

anoTher year has seen clinical and academic links beTWeen The TWeed hospiTal and danang sTrengThened.

ausaid Fellow and lecturer in nursing, Faculty of Medicine and pharmacy, the danang university, Ms phan thi Hoang ngan, utilised her time in tweed to observe both clinical practice and aspects of teaching on the wards of the tweed Hospital. importantly links were also established with southern cross university and Qut, Brisbane. ngan has a big task before her establishing the foundations of university based nurse education in danang and the assistance of prof iain Graham of southern cross and prof Genevieve Gray of Qut has meant that she has been able to establish links in nursing education not only here in australia, but also in Viêt nam, where Qut is a lead agency in curriculum development.

accompanying ngan, as a second ausaid Fellow in tweed for 2010, was dr duong dinh toan, an orthopaedic surgeon from Ha noi’s largest surgical hospital, Viet duc. toan’s primary interest was in aspects of joint replacement surgery and arthroscopy. He was able to join members of the tweed department of orthopaedics in the operating theatres of both hospital campuses, as well as participate in clinics and department meetings. as well as his clinical commitments toan is also a clinical tutor at Ha noi Medical university and was a member of the 2009 cohort who took part in the advanced course in Medical teaching at rnsH. tweed presented further opportunity for consolidating experience in ward based teaching of students and junior medical staff alike.

the scope of visits by tweed clinicians to danang broadened in 2010, with a team of eight nurses and doctors spending two weeks at the danang Hospital in april. this year’s visit saw time spent in orthopaedics, urology, anaesthesia and nursing. after months of prior planning and a great deal of effort put in by their danang counterparts to arrange patients, equipment and operating theatre time, doug turner, tweed orthopod and david sillar, urologist were able to spend time

reviewing patients, assessing diagnostic evaluation and checking equipment before taking their Viêt namese counterparts through a range of operative interventions in both orthopaedics and urology. Joining the surgical team were anaesthetist, Gavin Millar, or nurses, raynor cowdroy and Jayne rogers, anaesthesia rn, cath akers and nurse Manager chris lassen. in addition to work in the or, members of the team variously took part in site visits in nursing off campus, medical english teaching, lectures to clinical departments and students as well as a busy round of social engagements and a little shopping!

thanks go to the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for funding or nurse Jayne rogers and raynor cowdroy’s participation in this year’s danang visit, and my thanks in particular go to other members of the team for generously giving of their time to participate. it was also gratifying to receive the generous support of many in the medical equipment industry who donated items of equipment which were taken with us for use during our two weeks of teaching, and in the case of some items, for use on an ongoing basis by our danang colleagues.

dr nguyen ngoc Ba, neurosurgeon and deputy director of the danang Hospital was 2010’s senior Visiting Fellow. dr Ba has been an enthusiastic supporter of Ho ïc Mãi initiatives in danang and his Fellowship afforded him time with sydney neurosurgeon, dr charlie teo as well as interventional radiologist, dr Jason Wenderoth. there was also time to visit the tweed Hospital where he met with executive staff and senior colleagues.

2011 will see the project change tack again, with the inclusion of clinicians from Gosford Hospital in the Visiting team heading to danang in april. it will also see further engagement with clinical teachers from the new Faculty of Medicine and pharmacy of the danang university, and, of course, new ausaid Fellows who will work alongside their tweed colleagues.

dr ian mcphee

TWeed head/danang clinical services program

top to bottom

Cath Akers and Gavin Millar at work

Director Dr Thanh

Dr David Sillar

Medical English Group - DaNang

20 ausTralian medical sTudenT scholarship program second year Medical studentsFrom our first meeting with dr duong we knew our month in Viêt nam was going to be a great month. the 8 of us were divided between two hospitals, with 5 at Viet duc and 3 at Bach Mai. We were further divided into numerous departments, including emergency, plastics, orthopaedics, respiratory and neurology, with everyone’s interests accommodated for.

during the month we each observed a multitude of interesting and amazing things. We saw many technical surgeries, from an emergency splenectomy to a liver transplant and were impressed by the high level of technical skills demonstrated by the surgeons. We experienced the organised chaos of the emergency room with it’s never ending steam of motorbike related traumas and advanced disease presentations, which both shocked and engaged us. diseases that we had never seen before like lupus and tetanus were presented to us on the wards which indulged our medical curiosities.

While the medicine that each of us observed varied depending on what department we were in, there were many experiences that were common to all of us. everyone was warmly received by the doctors and nurses in their department, with staff constantly taking the time to explain things to us and teach us despite their busy schedules. We learnt a lot, from how to suture on oranges to how to decipher ct scans. Many of us also tried to reciprocate the teaching, with several students running medical english classes at both Bach Mai and Viet duc.

the Viêt namese medical students were also fantastic. Whether it was teaching us Viêt namese words for the parts of the body, translating patient histories or teaching us about certain diseases they were always extremely friendly and helpful. everyone was taken out to lunch, coffee or dinner by both doctors and students,

which was greatly appreciated and gave us a chance to develop strong friendships. Many email addresses were exchanged and facebook friends made over the month.

during our time we met many doctors and nurses who had been to australia through the Ho ïc Mãi foundation. these individuals made a particularly concerted effort to introduce themselves to us, make us feel welcome and befriend us. they spent a significant amount of time showing us around both the hospital and the city. they also taught us about the intricacies of the Viêt namese medical system and Viêt namese culture in general. this was greatly appreciated by everyone and we hope to do the same when the next round of Viêt namese Ho ïc Mãi recipients arrive in australia.

While our experiences at the hospital were the highlight for everyone, travelling on our weekends gave us a chance to see a different side of Viêt nam. We got to see the beauty of Halong Bay, the quaint streets of Hoi an, and the endless rice fields of sapa. travelling also gave us a chance to spend time together and get to know each other as a group. We especially enjoyed the chance to socialise with the nurses and allied health professionals.

it is hard to sum up succinctly our month in Viêt nam. so much happened during our time here; with each person having a very different individual experience. We have all enjoyed our time in Viêt nam immensely and it is an invaluable experience that we will never forget. We are extremely grateful that we were given this opportunity by the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation and look forward to sharing our experiences with others.

Jim li, abbey baerlocher, lara monaghan, cam hollows, louise greenup, david leon, andrew murphy, elle vandervordusyd second year Medical students

annual reporT 2010

ausTralian medical sTudenT scholarship program second year Medical students

this past month, all of december 2010, i have been working as a nurse on an orthopaedic ward in Ha noi, Viêt nam. i was stationed at Viet duc Hospital, which specialises in trauma and surgery patients. 70% of the hospital admissions were fractures or head trauma due to traffic accidents. Most of the promotion initiatives to prevent traffic accidents were posters that were hung around the hospital as opposed to in the public area.

My time away has been thoroughly enriching as i have further developed my nursing skills and have managed to apply and understand the rationale behind a variety of nursing procedures. While most of my time was spent on the orthopaedic ward i took many opportunities to observe orthopaedic surgery to better understand the patients operation and provide care for them pre and post-surgery. i watched many internal fixations and a couple of tibial nail operations. the care i helped provide on the ward involved administering intra-venous medications, giving subcutaneous and intramuscular injections and providing a variety of wet and dry wound dressings.

With the nurses i would observe the site of the injury, which was often a fractured limb, to look for swelling, coolness of skin and whether there is a pulse to determine whether the patient was receiving adequate blood supply through their limb. often the patients required elevation of their limb and traction to keep

the bones aligned, decrease swelling and increase blood flow to their peripheries. after most shifts i would head to the library where i desired to read about nursing care but sadly had no luck in finding useful sources, instead i would read about human anatomy, which was helpful. i would recommend that 2011 Ho ïc Mãi students take over some nursing text books.

overall, i feel a deep sense of humility and gratefulness toward the Viêt namese nurses and staff that helped me perform the nursing procedures with more efficiency and precision as i practised. i got along with staff really well as we would often have lunch together either eating at the hospital or going out for a chat and a bite. the language barrier was tricky but i had fun trying to learn their language and i think they also had fun watching me try. a real benefit in remaining on the same ward was that i became familiar to many patients and i feel i connected well with many of them. i am excited and inspired after experiencing nursing in such an interesting culture such as Viêt nam. i hope to pursue nursing work in developing areas of the world including remote and rural australia with our indigenous people. i am also grateful for Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for this wonderful opportunity and highly recommend it to any nursing student with a passion for what we do as nurses.

elliott ventress

as academic training in many allied health fields is still in its infancy in Viêt nam, the exchange of learning, facilitated by the Ho ïc Mãi international exchange program is no doubt integral to its success. the opportunity presented, to be a part of an interdisciplinary team, joining other allied health, nursing, and medical students from australian universities to observe, to learn, and to pass on knowledge acquired through our studies, is something that cannot be discovered from a textbook in australia. Being selected to take part in this program presented the invaluable experience to not only learn alongside other students, but to also review the scope of practice of each profession and to recognise and appreciate the overlap present in many aspects of research and patient care at an international level.

in Ha noi, we were enthusiastically welcomed by Viêt namese doctors, nurses, allied health staff, students, and often also by their patients. our eagerness to learn about cultural and medical practices in Viêt nam was matched by their willingness and enthusiasm to teach and to assist us in our learning. over the weeks that followed, our time was divided between the rehabilitation departments at Ha noi

Medical university Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, the emergency department and the respiratory ward. during our time in the hospitals, we developed an active support network with health professionals and students with whom skills sharing and support was facilitated, and will continue upon our return to australia.

lucy and robyn, entering their final year of speech pathology studies, worked alongside speech therapist Miss ly at the Ha noi Medical university (HMu), and with the ear, nose and throat (ent) team at Bach Mai Hospital. though challenging at times, overcoming the language barrier when communicating in this cross-cultural setting enhanced awareness of the struggle many patients with communication difficulties encounter in seeking such services. time in the ent department allowed further promotion of the wide scope of practice of this field in australia and to be exposed to learning experiences which can be integrated into developing professional practice in australia. through introducing vocal therapy techniques as an alternative to surgery, and the use of language stimulation therapy toys, lucy and robyn strived to assist in collaborating with Viêt namese professionals to consider

methods and resources which may be ecologically valid and culturally appropriate to be implemented.

in addition to time spent in the spinal cord rehabilitation department, final year physiotherapy student, sam, took part in implementing rehabilitation techniques in the respiratory ward, and taking part in presentations and medical english classes with Viêt namese doctors. this placement therefore provided learning, teaching, and further professional development opportunities, and to facilitate the development of sustainable practices in the long term to empower both medical staff and patients to achieve their best possible health outcomes.

We would like to thank the staff and members of the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation, the university of sydney, and our Viêt namese hosts for providing the opportunity to take part in this extremely rewarding learning experience. With your support and continued investment, this program of bilateral exchange will continue to promote academic and professional growth, highly valued by all partners involved.

robyn Weymer (graduate entry masters of speech language pathology)lucy baTh (graduate entry masters of speech language pathology)sam klippan (graduate entry masters of physiotherapy)

allied HealtH students

nursinG student

22 viêT namese medical sTudenT scholarship program

Vu Tran Bao Chau during her clinical placement at Westmead

it was a great opportunity for me to obtain a 4-week study course at Westmead dental Hospital. two days after my arrival in sydney, Ms rhondda Glasson took me to Westmead Hospital. it is a huge hospital with three different blocks. the next day i was presented to my supervisor, dr stephen cox, Head of department of the oral surgery department of the Faculty of dentistry the university of sydney. What impressed me when we first met was his friendliness and kindness.

For me, my time at Westmead Hospital was such an eye opening trip. the dental course in sydney is different from the one in Viêt nam. every tuesday, Wednesday and thursday i was in clinic observing the way of treatment. the important thing i have learned in clinic is the way of communication between the dental students and staff toward patients. they always introduced themselves, explained what they were going to do and the whole treatment plan. therefore the patient felt very assured and relaxed. the entire clinic had a friendly atmosphere. another benefit of the training course is that the students need each step checked by the supervisors. this is an excellent way to provide the patients with the best care.

once a week, i went to Mentor Meeting with my new friends, dental students of the university of sydney. this was the time that all clinical issues would be simplified and solved. a group of 10 students take their time to share all the difficult cases they have encountered during the week. they discussed various options to find the best solution for each patient.

Minor oral surgery (Mos) was always amazing as it sounds. Just finishing my second year of dentistry in Viêt nam, i

have never studied the particular case of extraction needing surgery. i was enthusiastic to have such a fantastic experience. in the operating theatre, i had the great chance to observe a case of extraction requiring bone removal. after performing surgery, the surgeon and all the team ensure the patient meticulously the right way for rehabilitation. My clinical course assured me that language is not a barrier to learn.

Besides that, i also gained a lot of experiences about australian life. australia is a multicultural country where every race and people from all walks of life live together in peace. While wandering in the city, you never feel homesick because of the many restaurants providing authentic food from all over the world.

something that i will definitely take away from my time spent in sydney is the friendship that formed everyday during my course. i am fortunate to get acquainted with my new friends, third year dental students from the university of sydney. they were very hospitable and thoughtful in answering all of my questions about clinical procedures and treatments. i hope these relationships will be cultivated over the years and after time there will be many opportunities for dental students to gain their experiences overseas due to the support of Ho ïc Mãi Foundation.

i would like to express my incredible gratitude to all australian hosts for their generosity and kindness. i am truly thankful to Ho ïc Mãi Foundation, professor Bruce robinson, and Ms. rhondda Glasson for providing me with this clinical course.

vu Tran bao chau

university of Medicine and pharmacy HcMc

it was my luck to receive a strong support from Hoïc Mãi Foundation to have an opportunity studying in australia. it was a peaceful and lovely country. Moreover, this was my first time to go to australia so i had a huge chance to open my mind to the world and change my old thinking style.

arriving in sydney in July through the strong support of Hoïc Mãi Foundation, i spent one of the most unforgettable period in my life. at the airport, i was warmly welcomed by Ms. rhondda Glasson. it was a sunny day and the sky was very clear. on the first day, Ms. rhondda helped us with almost everything to make us accustomed to the australian lifestyle. i felt that i lived in a ‘big family’ of Hoïc Mãi operated by the clever hands of Ms. rhondda. in fact, everything was well-organized.

on the next day, i went to royal north shore Hospital and was introduced to my supervisor, dr. andrew kneebone. From then on, i acted as an observer in the radiation oncology department for a whole month. dr. kneebone was so awesome in every aspect. i really learnt a lot from him and his colleagues about the working, studying and researching styles in such a large hospital. one thing i remembered the most from dr. kneebone is the way he communicated with his patients. it was so sweet yet extremely efficient. actually i’ve never known such a careful and patient physician like him before. He encouraged me to learn as much as i could. He even suggested lending me some of his own books for my studying. the most important thing was i had a chance to talk with the patients and listen to them. actually there was a significant difference in almost every aspect, from the diagnosis, treatment as well as following-up process between australian hospitals and the ones in my own country. But thanks to the enthusiasm of the doctors here, especially dr. Michael Bach and dr. carol chaddad, i could have a chance to learn a lot. other members are so nice and have helped me a lot during my period there. i will never forget craig opie, who was very clever and always try to simplify difficult stuffs for me. adam, Franco, eddie, Florence and all the staff are great too. everyone was so friendly and open-hearted.

once again, i want to thank Hoïc Mãi Foundation, especially Mr. Bruce robinson, the chairman of Hoïc Mãi Foundation, and Ms. rhondda Glasson for everything. it was really fantastic experience.

nguyen duc duy Tam Fifth-year medical student, pham ngoc thach university of medicine

annual reporT 2010

it is generally agreed that short courses of studying abroad are more beneficial to doctors than to medical students. By reason of their many years of experience, doctors know what they should focus on, how to improve their knowledge and skills effectively. it is good for their patients as well as their medical students. Most of foundations, therefore, prefer giving opportunities to doctors, especially in university lecturers, with the aim of improving Viêt namese medicine. in sharp contrast with doctors, there is no chance for medical students because of lacking of experience. luckily, i was delighted to receive an invitation from Ho ïc Mãi Foundation to participate in a short course (one month) of medical student clinical placement program at the concord clinical school at concord Hospital. on account of advantages of studying abroad, i put forward a suggestion different from the general attitude. students, especially in final year students, should be received more opportunities because of these following reasons:

the most common problem of Viêt namese medical students is to decide what to do when they finish university. there are two basis general trends: going straight to studying specialty or practicing as general practitioner (Gp). Most of students choose the former. i had agreed with this main trend until i finished my short course. in the department of Gastroenterology, most of patients with early alarming symptoms are diagnosed as serious diseases by endoscopy in the early stage and their diseases are managed effectively. the incidence of death is very low. at variance with australian patients, only a minority of Viêt namese patients belonging to educated people are diagnosed as serious diseases in the curable stage. the majority are brought to see the doctors with complications of the end stage. therefore, i realized that the Gps play a key role in management of diseases, especially in my

country with large population, because the Gps manage community’s health, asking the specialist for non-specific but suspicious symptoms, as well as providing all information involved. i appreciate the role of Gp. i will share my new attitude with all my friends who don’t really appreciate the main role of Gp in health care system. Hopefully, more and more students have opportunities to study medicine in australia because observation the real things is better than listening to the other people.

one of other important things to note is that the subject of ethics and the law takes a considerable part in the student’s curriculum. it leads to good interrelationship between doctors and their patients. in my opinion, making a good interrelationship is initially important step of effective treatment. Before i had the chance to observe, i had not been fully appreciating its value.

there are many advantages of studying, as well as living in australia.

the concord clinical school is an ideal environment of studying. not only my supervisor but also all professors and doctors in the department of gastroenterology enthusiastically encourage and support me to participate in the care of patients. spending a lot of time participating in general teaching sessions in association with other students is very beneficial to improve my medical knowledge. english textbooks are very insufficient in my country. therefore, this is a very good opportunity to prefer clinical school’s library with variety english of medical books.

living condition is perfect. My accommodation is comfortable, traffic is very convenience, food is cheap and safe and australian people are very sociable and friendly. sydney is very beautiful.

all in all, i think i came a very long way in a very short time. Hopefully, i have another chance to study in australia, improving my knowledge and english in medicine, as well as my living skills.

che kieu minh khoi Medical student, pham ngoc thach, university of Medicine

elecTive sTudenT reporT

general information:

student: le, thi Hong Hanh. year 4. Ha noi Medical university. Viêt nam

elective couse place: radiology Ward. concord Hospital. nsW. australia

started on 2nd august, 2010. Finished on 27th august, 2010. on the premise of concord Hospital, radiology Ward. sydney, australia.

Main sponsor: Ho ïc Mãi Foundation. the university of sydney.

course experiences:

Main study at radiology ward was focusing on t-c scanner, X-ray, ultra sound and lectures.

c-t scanner: i have learnt many things about c-t scanner. i learnt how to read normal films as well as abnormal films. there were many cancer cases. i was quite surprised about it.

X-ray: i saw doctor doing X-ray to patients. i earned basic knowledge of X-ray which would be very useful when i study it on next term at my university.

ultra-sound: i attended at ultra-sound patient room. i did see doctor doing ultra-sound to patients, biopsying for them. the work was very professional. it was very fast and less pain for patients. i was also taught about some normal ultra-sound films.

during the time at the hospital, i was not only attending at patients examination, but also attending at clinical school for lectures. i was introduced about concord hospital, many wards, medical system and patient processing. this knowledge is new to me. it will be studied in my next term at my university. However, i believe that, i have not learnt as much knowledge as i should do. i have limitation of english ability.

i would like to take this opportunity to thank doctors, nurses and staffs at concord Hospital for helping, teaching, assisting me during the time at the hospital. i would also thank Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for giving me the chance, which i believe it will inspire me in my future medical study.

24

the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation scholarship provided me with an invaluable opportunity to conduct my praxis in Ho chi Minh city, where i was able to put into practice the theoretical knowledge that i had acquired throughout the year whilst doing the MipH degree at sydney university. i spent four weeks in december and January at the Hung Vuong Hospital in Ho chi Minh city, Viêt nam, where i conducted a cross- sectional study on the prevalence, attitudes and influences on breastfeeding practices in Viêt namese women.

numerous studies conducted on breastfeeding have shown that optimal infant feeding, defined as initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary feeding until the age of two, has the potential to prevent approximately 19% of all under- five deaths in the developing world1. Furthermore, a recent uniceF report revealed that children who are breastfed in developing countries are at least six times more likely to survive in the early months than non- breastfed children2. exclusively breastfed babies are six times less likely to die from diarrhoeal diseases and 2.4 times less likely to die from acute respiratory infections than babies who are given mixed feeds3. Breastfeeding has also been found to be protective against the development of obesity in children whose mothers had been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes Mellitus4, a growing epidemic in low- middle income countries such as Viêt nam.

the Baby Friendly Hospital initiative was thus developed by the WHo and uniceF to lift breastfeeding rates in all countries. despite these known benefits, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in developing countries is relatively low. in asia, approximately 40% of infants under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed, with only 31% fed breast milk within the first hour of life2. Whilst previous studies conducted in Viêt nam have recorded breastfeeding initiation rates as high as 99%5, only 58% of infants are fed breast milk within the first hour of life2. exclusive

breastfeeding rates decline dramatically during the first six months post- partum, with the median duration of exclusive breastfeeding being approximately 0.5 months6, a far cry from the recommended 6 months.

With these sobering statistics in mind, i decided to undertake a study on breastfeeding. this involved interviewing women 24-48 hours after giving birth using a standard questionnaire, and observation of breastfeeding of women at the Hung Vuong Hospital. the aims of the study were to compare rates of early breastfeeding in women with and without a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, as well as to determine the attitudes, knowledge, and influences around breastfeeding in post- partum women. all GdM women who delivered between the 22nd of december and 8th of January were interviewed, with a random sample of controls also selected during this time frame. a total of 235 women were interviewed. interviews were conducted by five Viêt namese midwives.

this experience has provided me with invaluable practical experience in conducting a qualitative study. i was confronted with many challenges on a daily basis, including language and cultural barriers. every day was a learning process. However, the overall experience has enriched my career thus far, as i was able to interact with the Viêt namese doctors, midwives, and patients on a personal and professional level. My time at Hung Vuong Hospital also included shadowing dr trinh tuyet anh, an obstetric resident on an evening shift in the delivery room, where i was able to observe a different perspective on the health system and clinical practice in Viêt nam, and attending english and Journal clubs at the Hung Vuong and tu du Hospitals. i would like to thank the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation for providing me with such an interesting opportunity, one which has enriched the personal and professional aspects of my life thus far!

shamini ramoo

masTer of inTernaTional public healTh scholarship program sHaMini raMoo

1 Jones, Gareth et al. How many child deaths can we prevent this year? The Lancet 2003; 362(9377): 65-71.

2 UNICEF. Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Nutrition: a survival and development priority. UNICEF 2009.

3 WHO Collaborative Study Team on the Role of Breastfeeding on the Prevention of Infant Mortality. Effect of breastfeeding on infant and child mortality due to infectious diseases in less developed countries: A pooled analysis. The Lancet 2000; 355(9202): 451-455.

4 Gunderson EP. Breastfeeding After Gestational Diabetes Pregnancy; Subsequent obesity and type 2 Diabetes in women and their offspring. Diabetes Care 2007; 30(2): 5161-5168.

5 Nakamori M, Ninh N, Khan N et al. Nutritional status, feeding practice and incidence of infectious diseases among children aged 6 to 18 months in northern mountainous Viêt Nam. The Journal of Medical Investigation 2010; 57: 45-53.

6 Senarath U, Dibley M, Agho K. Factors associated with nonexclusive breastfeeding in 5 East and Southeast Asian countries: a multilevel analysis. Journal of Human Lactation 2010; 26: 248.

annual reporT 2010

as my time studying international public health in the classroom drew to a close in sydney, the opportunity to conduct independent research in Viêt nam truly served as the perfect capstone for such an experience. i arrived in Viêt nam with a topic in hand—emerging public health education—and a very open mind to the many directions that my ideas might lead. thanks to the help offered by Ho ïc Mãi collaborators and a number of colleagues in sydney, i was able to make an abundance of professional connections in a relatively short period of time. With the help of their knowledge and expertise, my ideas began to take shape.

Viêt nam, as a nation, continues to advance at a staggering pace, and trends in tertiary public health education seem to be changing with a similar sense of urgency. With a population whose average life expectancy is on the rise, and a health system that is injecting a fresh supply of resources into a newly revitalized field of public health, there has been a recent flurry of activity around the shaping of a new national preventative health curriculum. at the cutting edge of this movement is a methodology called problem-Based learning (pBl), an educational process that is focused on student-teacher interaction and students’ dedication to independent and collaborative examination of ideas.

My aim was to survey lecturers and students at two universities—Ha noi school of public Health and Ha noi Medical university—in order to better understand their perceptions of this curricular shift, with a view to providing recommendations for future educational policy. over the course of my time in Ha noi, i was privileged to meet with many brilliant and aspiring public health professionals, each of whom was so kind as to lend a bit of their own perspective and enthusiasm. all told, i had the opportunity to facilitate two focus groups with lecturers—one from each university—and a total of 8 student focus groups. in addition, 72 students and teachers agreed to fill out an associated questionnaire.

i am certainly excited at the prospect of what this research may be able to contribute to the rather sparse body of literature looking into public health education in Viêt nam and other nations like it, and it is my hope that the results might be helpful in some way to those who so generously partnered with me during my time in Ha noi. However, on a more personal note, my time abroad was absolutely invaluable to me as a student-researcher, as a life-long learner, and as an individual who loves to be provoked to curiosity and challenge. in one short month, i learned a great deal about conducting research, networking with colleagues, finding win-win partnerships, and all that is involved in driving a project steadily forward to completion.

it was truly and honor and a privilege to be a part of the ethos of learning and collaboration that Ho ïc Mãi represents, both in sydney and Ha noi. i was struck by the incredible warmth of the Viêt namese people as they graciously invited me into their homes, and i was challenged by their consistent eagerness to learn and to strive forward in the spirit of progress. i am sincerely grateful to those at the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation who extended such a tremendous opportunity to me, and to those who so generously gave of their time and energy during my stay in Viêt nam. thank you!

John grisham

JoHn GrisHaM

26

as a researcher and student of international public Health i have been interested in the acquisition of Medical english by health professionals in Viêt nam for many years. i was thrilled to be awarded a Ho ïc Mãi scholarship in 2010 as it has given me the opportunity to conduct research into learning english in Viêt nam which not only contributes 4 credit points to my Masters degree, but also provides me the opportunity to gain further understanding of the subject and use the results to better inform our english teaching at the university’s centre for english teaching where i work.

My research aimed to investigate how medical professionals in Viêt nam get access to Medical english and how this affects their work. it is a study of the cultural issues and impact on the work environment in a developing economy associated with english language and learning support.

the research Ho ïc Mãi enabled me to carry out looked at the language learning needs and acquisition of Medical english by a range of Viêt namese health professionals in Ho chi Minh city, and looked at the way Medical english is learned and used in a variety of clinical, educational and administrative settings, workplace practice and general everyday living. i conducted the study primarily in Ho chi Minh city, but also briefly visited danang and Ha noi to cross-check some of my findings.

in order to gain an understanding of the current situation regarding the teaching and learning of Medical english in Viêt nam i interviewed 138 medical professionals, language teachers, and administrators. these included people in Huong Vuong Hospital, the university of Medicine and pharmacy, pham ngoc thach university of Medicine, tu du Hospital, the infection control department at the university Medical centre, as well as rMit university Viêt nam, unsW Global in Viêt nam, and austrade.

to gain an understanding of the ways in which Medical english is used in everyday practice, i also visited ‘conversation groups’ at universities, hospitals, the Viêt namese graduates from australia club, and even the cafe noi coffee club in downtown Ho chi Minh city.

Many people helped me to do my work. especially helpful were dr tran son thach of the Hung Vuong Hospital and dr pham ngoc doan trang from the department of scientific research & international relations at pham ngoc thach university of Medicine. Both of these wonderful people spent much time helping me to settle in to life and work in Viêt nam, and in organising my busy research schedule. dr trang particularly provided insightful comment on my research methodology and background issues relating to the use of medical english by busy health professionals in the work environment.

the whole experience has been incredible, humbling and insightful. the research demonstrated how the observation of practice combined with reflection supported by theory can lead to the design of new interventions to improve the learning and use of english language. in the case of my research, i learned just how powerful can be the use of social networking media to encourage and moderate ‘conversation clubs’ that bring together like-minded speakers of Medical english across traditional boundaries of time and space.

Without the support of the Ho ïc Mãi Foundation it would have been difficult to organise and carry out the study and without the funding it would not have taken place. now i can use the results to help english language teachers at my workplace toward better practice. i would like to say a big thank you to Ho ïc Mãi for providing me this opportunity to carry out this work and experience the warm nature of the Viêt namese people.

stephen howlett

stepHen HoWlett

annual reporT 2010

With thanks to funding from Ho ïc Mãi Foundation, in mid-2010 clan (caring & living as neighbours) was able to sponsor 3 health professionals from Ho chi Minh city’s children’s Hospital 1 (cH1) to visit australia in mid 2010 for a period of 2 months, to observe best practice in autism-care amongst health professionals and community groups (including Viêt namese-australian community groups) in sydney and Melbourne.

Whilst in australia each of the visiting staff (paediatrician and psychotherapist dr trang; psychologist Mrs tra; and physical / speech therapist Mr Quyen) focused on two key objectives that would aid their efforts to help children living with autism on their return to Viêt nam:

1. creation of a Toolkit to promote transfer of key learning and newly identified resources, and

2. implementation of phased action projects (plan-do-study-act cycles) to progress small collaborative Quality improvement projects.

the project was extremely successful, with the key objectives met and a raft of other unexpected positive outcomes already emerging, including: ongoing networking between australian and Viêt namese colleagues and communities; donation of toys to start an autism toy library at cH1; attendance of cH1 staff at an international early intervention conference in Malaysia in december 2010; strengthening links between cH1 and education specialists in HcMc; rapid implementation of new training techniques for autism families; and development of new resources on autism in Viêt namese.

this project would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of spirit demonstrated repeatedly by australian health professionals, communities and families who consistently went above and beyond to ensure the visiting staff had every opportunity to network, learn and share. the project was truly collaborative from the very start, and clan would like to thank everyone involved for their invaluable contribution to a project we hope will continue to help children living with autism in Viêt nam for years to come.

kate hansen clan

connecTing communiTies To help children

auTism specTrum disorders (asds) presenT a very real challenge for viêT nam. only recognised since The mid 2000’s as a clinical condiTion able To be diagnosed and effecTively managed, auTism is noW emerging in near epidemic proporTions – a crisis compounded by an acuTe shorTage of essenTial sTaff and available services.

28

principle 1 – lay solid foundaTions for managemenT and oversighT

nature of the entity

the Ho ïc Mãi - australia Viêt nam Foundation is a part of the university of sydney aBn 15211513464 and not separately incorporated under a state or commonwealth act. the Foundation is required to gain prior approval for its fundraising activities from the director of development up to $100k, the provost and dVc from $100k to $1m and the Vice chancellor over $1m. the Foundation’s activities are not-for-profit and covered by the dGr status of the university of sydney. the university is exempted from the requirement to hold an authority to Fundraise and obligations upon holders of such an authority but is still required to comply with the balance of provisions of the charitable Fundraising act

roles of council and management

the Foundation operates under the authority of the senate of the university of sydney, as approved in 2000 and has no powers of delegation. the Foundation conducts its affairs pursuant to the Foundation rules and the relevant policies of the university. the Foundation had its annual fundraising plan approved and was able to meet its objectives. the Foundation is to be reviewed every three years from the date of its approval. no review was undertaken during 2010.

principle 2 – sTrucTure of The council To add value

paTron:

her excellency, professor marie bashir ac, cvo

the council of the Foundation in 2010 consisted of the following members:

name: mr alfred attardQualifications and experience: director - ellzactcurrent term of appointment: since 2006special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 4; eligible to attend 4

name: ms audrey blundenQualifications and experience: lecturer and international advisor, Faculty of law, unsWcurrent term of appointment: since 2009 special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 4; eligible to attend 4

name: major general bill crews ao (ret’d)Qualifications and experience: national president, the returned and services league of australiacurrent term of appointment: since 2004 (resigned aGM 2010)special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 1 ; eligible to attend 1

name: The hon dr meredith burgmannQualifications and experience: Former president of legislative council of nsWcurrent term of appointment: since 2001 (resigned aGM 2010)special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 1; eligible to attend 1

name: rear admiral ken doolan ao ran (retd)Qualifications and experience: national president, the returned and services league of australiacurrent term of appointment: since 2010special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 3; eligible to attend 3

name: professor elizabeth elliott amQualifications and experience: professor of paediatrics and child Health, university of sydney and consultant paediatrician, the children's Hospital at Westmeadcurrent term of appointment: since 2009special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 2; eligible to attend 4

name: mr douglas falconerQualifications and experience: Medical doctorcurrent term of appointment: since 2009special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 1; eligible to attend: 4

name: mr ross gavinQualifications and experience: partner, pricewaterhousecoopers, sydneycurrent term of appointment; since 2005special responsibilities: treasurernumber of meetings attended: 4; eligible to attend 4

name: emeritus professor kerry goulston aoQualifications and experience: Gastroenterologist; Former associate dean, northern clinical school, university of sydneycurrent term of appointment: since 2001special responsibilities: deputy chair number of meetings attended: 3; eligible to attend 4

name: mr brad hazzardQualifications and experience: Member of new south Wales legislative assemblycurrent term of appointment: since 2005 (resigned aGM 2010)special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 1; eligible to attend 1

name: mr ken hopkinsQualifications and experience: Fellow of the institute of chartered accountants, practicing chartered accountant for over 30 yearscurrent term of appointment: since 2006special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 2; eligible to attend 4

name: The hon mr craig knowlesQualifications and experience: Former senior Minister of nsW parliament current term of appointment: since 2004special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 2 ; eligible to attend 4

name: mr michael mann amQualifications and experience: Managing director (asia-pacific) - laureate education asia inc; the Former australian ambassador to Viêt nam; the Founding president of royal Melbourne institute of technology’s university in Viêt namcurrent term of appointment: since 2001special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 1; eligible to attend 4 (resides in thailand - 2010)

name: dr Thuy mai -vietQualifications and experience: president and ceo - university preparation collegecurrent term of appointment: since 2001 special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 1; eligible to attend 4

name: The hon mrs Jeanette mchughQualifications and experience: Former Member - Federal parliamentcurrent term of appointment: since 2003special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 3; eligible to attend 4

name: professor Jonathan morrisQualifications and experience: professor of obstetrics and Gynaecology, university of sydney and Head of department of obstetrics, royal north shore Hospitalcurrent term of appointment: since 2005special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 3; eligible to attend 4

foundaTion governance sTaTemenT

the Ho ïc Mãi - australia Viêt nam Foundation recognises the importance and benefit of good governance and provides the following report:

annual reporT 2010

name: mr Tom moultQualifications and experience: Has worked in advertising and marketing for 35 years; currently the ceo executive ogilvy and Mather. outside of work; has been involved with various industry organisations;a board director of Foodbank australia and the Bell shakespeare company; currently a governor of Frensham school.current term of appointment: since 2001 special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 4; eligible to attend 4

name: ms nancy dolan ba ll b (hons)Qualifications and experience: is an Honorary Fellow of sydney Medical school at the university of sydney. after beginning practice in new Zealand, nancy became a solicitor and partner Mallesons stephen Jacques in sydney; she subsequently became General counsel and a partner of pricewaterhousecoopers; From 2004 to 2007 nancy was General counsel of the university of sydney, responsible for co-ordinating the provision of legal services to the universityl; nancy is a member of the st James ethics centre and the australian institute of company directors.current term of appointment: since 2009special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 2; eligible to attend 3

name: professor bruce robinsonQualifications and experience: dean, sydney Medical school, university of sydneycurrent term of appointment: since 2001 special responsibilities: chairperson; number of meetings attended: 4; eligible to attend 4

name: The hon mr Tom uren aoQualifications and experience: Former Member - Federal parliamentcurrent term of appointment: since 2001 special responsibilities: council Membernumber of meetings attended: 4; eligible to attend 4

honorary:

name: ambassdor mr hoang vinh ThanhQualifications and experience: ambassador – socialist republic of Viêt namspecial responsibilities: Honorary Membernumber of meetings attended: 0; eligible to attend 0

name: consul general vu hong namQualifications and experience: consul General of Viêt nam, sydneyspecial responsibilities: Honorary Membernumber of meetings attended: 0; eligible to attend 0

council members were elected at the Foundation’s aGM on 9 March 2010. there is not a separate nomination committee of council. the full council resolves on nominations for co-opting of members to fill vacancies outside of the process of election at the aGM. there was a performance evaluation of the council undertaken in the reporting period.

principle 3 – promoTe eThical and responsible decision-making

council members have been provided with the university of sydney Foundation Governance Guide, Foundation rules, code of conduct,conflicts of interest policy and the occupational Health & safety policy. the code of conduct, conflict of interest policy and the occupational Health & safety policy are also available on the university’s public website as are other relevant university policies regarding gift acceptance, harassment, grievance procedures and other related policies.

principle 4 – safeguard inTegriTy in financial reporTing

the annual accounts of the Foundation are prepared by the financial staff of the university, signed off by Mr dominic curtin and included in this annual report to the senate. the Foundation is part of the university and therefore does not have its own audit sub-committee, the university is audited by the audit office of nsW.

the Foundation undertook three (3) fundraising appeals1 during 2010. and in conducting those appeals the Foundation took all reasonable steps to ensure that commissions paid or payable to any person as part of a fundraising appeal did not exceed one-third of the gross money obtained by that person in the appeal2 and appropriate particulars of all items of gross income received or receivable, all items of expenditure incurred, including the application or disposition of any income obtained from the appeal and particulars of those transactions to which they related were recorded in the minutes of the Foundation3.

principle 5 – make Timely and balanced disclosure

the Foundation complied with the reporting and disclosure requirements of the senate. these include an annual budget and this annual report

Members and council have been made aware of the processes for disclosure pursuant to the code of conduct, conflicts

of interest policy, which include protected disclosure to the icac, the ombudsman or the auditor General.

principle 6 - respecT The righTs of members, sTaff, volunTeers, clienTs, & oTher sTakeholders

the Foundation council and/or membership consists of members of the community, industry bodies and the university whose input is invited via the annual General Meeting and council meetings of the Foundation. the forums/mechanisms have been held during the year to involve stakeholders in election of the council, activities of the foundation or other stakeholder participation.

under the charitable Fundraising act, the university may be questioned about any appeal on details of the purpose of the appeal such as the appeal target, objectives, distribution of proceeds, etc and the process to provide answers. during the year the Foundation published information [on its website / other means] and outlines those activities in this annual report. specific requests for information have been responded to by the Foundation office. other enquiries may have been made to other parts of the university.

principle 7 - recognise and manage risk

the Foundation recognises its activities within university premises or other premises require risks such as health and safety, environmental protection, privacy, trade practices, and compliance with the charitable Fundraising act to be considered and managed. the Foundation has managed these risks during the year.

principle 8 – remuneraTe fairly and responsibly

no member of a council is entitled to receive any remuneration for acting in that capacity except reasonable remuneration on a basis which has first been approved in writing by the university officer (Foundations)

Members of the Foundation council may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses after written approval of the university officer (Foundations). any such instances are recorded in the minutes of the council.

1 See s5 Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)

2 Reg 9(6) Charitable Fundraising Regulation 2008

3 See s22(2)(b) Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)

30 Treasurer’s reporT For tHe year ended 31 deceMBer 2010

i am pleased to report on the financial affairs of the Foundation for the year ended 31 december 2010. the accounting records of the Foundation are maintained by the university of sydney, and its accounts are drawn up annually in accordance with the university’s accounting policies. the results of the Foundation for the year are set out in the income statement while the financial position at 31 december is summarised in the Balance sheet, both of which are included in this annual report.

the accounts disclose a surplus of $330,000, based on revenues exceeding $1,000,000. this compares with a deficit of $41,000 from activities in 2009. the principal sources of revenue were grants and donations, of which the most significant items were from ausaid, which once again allowed the Foundation to maintain the number of Vietnamese scholars that could be hosted in australia, and atlantic philanthropy which provided $282,000 for a number of new initiatives. other grants and donations, together with funds brought forward from prior years, financed scholarships for australian medical students to Vietnam on clinical placement programs and funded a variety of other programs which met the objectives of the Foundation. We are grateful for the generous support of our donors who have continued to provide financial assistance over a number of years.

at year-end, the Foundation had accumulated funds of $417,000, which together with the revenue to be derived during 2011, will provide the resources to allow the Foundation to finance its activities for the forthcoming year.

ross gavin Treasurer

annual reporT 2010

The ho ïc mãi foundaTion acknoWledges The generous supporT of The folloWing sponsors and donors:

ausaid ala Fellowships

euro rscG Worldwide

international program development Fund (university of sydney)

the atlantic philanthropies

northside travel

returned and services league of australia

rotary Maroubra

united nations population Fund

10 group

the provin Group specialist catering

Viêt nam airlines

Treasurer’s reporT For tHe year ended 31 deceMBer 2010

patronher excellency, professor marie bashir ac, cvoGovernor of New South Wales

cHairprofessor bruce robinsonChairHo ïc Mãi Foundation and dean of Medicine,university of sydney

council MeMBersmr alfred attardDirectorellzact

ms audrey blundenLecturer and International Advisor,Faculty of law,university of nsW

rear admiral ken doolan ao ran (retd)National Presidentthe returned and services league of australia

ms nancy dolanHonorary Fellow of Sydney Medical Schooluniversity of sydney

professor elizabeth elliott amProfessor of Paediatrics and Child Health,university of sydney & consultantpaediatrician, the children's Hospital at Westmead

dr douglas falconerInternrpaH Hospital

mr ross gavinPartnerpricewaterhousecoopers, sydney(treasurer of Ho ïc Mãi Foundation)

emeritus professor kerry goulston aoFormer Associate Deannorthern clinical school, university of sydney(deputy chair of Ho ïc Mãi Foundation)

mr ken hopkinsFellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants

The hon mr craig knowlesFormer Senior Minister of NSW Parliament

mr michael mann amManaging Director (Asia-Pacific)laureate education asia incFormer australian ambassador to Viêt nam

dr Thuy mai-vietPresident and CEOuniversity preparation college

The hon mrs Janette mchughFormer MinisterFederal parliament

professor Jonathan morrisProfessor of Obstetrics and Gynaecologyuniversity of sydney and Head of departmentobstetrics, royal north shore Hospital

mr Tom moultCEOogilvy & Mather

The hon mr Tom uren ao Former MinisterFederal parliament

Honorary council MeMBersambassador nguyen Thanh danAmbassador socialist republic of Viêt nam

consul general vu hong namconsul General of Viêt nam, sydney

Hoïc Mãi Foundation staFFrhondda glassonExecutive Officer

associate professor dr dang van duongCoordinator – Viêt Nam

ms nikki ballantyneAdministration Officer

council members

cricos 00026aaBn 15 211 513 464

produced by sydney Medical school, the university of sydney, 2010. the university reserves the right to make alterations to any information contained within this publication without notice. 02/2011

hoïc mãiannual reporT 2010

ho ïc mãi The australia viêt nam medical foundationedward Ford Building (a27)university of sydneycamperdown nsW 2006australia