If you want to make a life-changing, life-saving difference for a baby, child or other Vietnamese, Vets With A Mission Children's Heart Surgery Program is an opportunity to do so. Vietnam vets return to the country, specifically to Thua Thien Hue Province the third most bombed and shelled during the war, to sponsoring heart procedures for economically disadvantaged families. Since 1989, fifty-four Vietnamese the majority babies, children or adolescents have been recipients of heart operations.
Thua Thien Hue is a rural province, except for its provincial capital city of Hue. Vietnamese in the province, both Kinh and Ethinic Minorities (Montagnards), are subsistence farmers in an agricultural economy. The majority of Vietnamese are poor, many have no insurance or extra income to provide even basic healthcare, let alone a heart procedure. Government resources are overwhelmed. $24,500 will sponsor at least seven (7) heart procedures!
The CHSP provides heart procedures to babies, children, teenagers or adolescents, and young adults. VWAM medical mission team physicians identify a "Special patient." After diagnosis is confirmed, VWAM's in-country coordinator makes a financial needs assessment and verifies patient's personal information. Once vetted, patient is admitted to Hue Central Hospital, and surgery is scheduled. VWAM's program coordinator handles all arrangements and makes payment for services directly to the hospital.
To date, fifty-four Vietnamese have received life-changing, life-saving heart procedures, the difference between life and premature death. On average the operation costs $3500, and that includes pre-op/op/post-op care. Procedure is performed at Hue Central Hospital's heart institute. This hospital in Central Vietnam is one of three locations where this type of surgery is performed. The other two are Hanoi in Northern Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in Southern Vietnam.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
