2013 Mission to Kien Giang General Hospital

Impact Health Vietnam’s (IHVN) first mission in September of 2013 was to Kien Giang General Hospital (KGGH) in Rach Gia City. KGGH is a provincial medical center that treats an average of 2000 outpatients per day. IHVN brought a mission team of 23 volunteers, including doctors, nurses, device specialists, paramedics, technical and logistic support personnel, interpreters, photographers, and a videographer.

Interventional cardiology: The mission team brought donated supplies and medications valued at $180,000 for the treatment of patients in need. Our mission team collaborated on 88 procedures, including placement of 39 stents and 2 pacemakers. Our nurses created plans and protocols for a proposed 10 bed coronary care unit.

Open heart surgeries: The IHVN surgical team volunteers collaborated with the local team on 5 open heart surgeries. Our volunteers shared their expertise on congenital heart problems, heart valve disease, and coronary artery bypass which is a new procedure for this hospital

Education and Training: Mission team members provided Kien Giang cardiac and surgical ICU staff the opportunity to work with and learn from our nurses at the bedside. Our cardiologists shared expertise in echocardiography and diagnostic cardiac care. The team assembled crash carts to provide rapid response to cardiac arrests in both the ICU and CCU units.

Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support classes were held for all of KGGH staff. IHVN volunteers held 22 BLS classes for more than 200 KGGH staff members. Individual team members donated mannequins and materials for these classes.

Infection prevention and patient care safety improvements were recommended after assessment by our team. A list of guidelines (with translation) was left with hospital staff.

IHVN missions would not be possible without the outstanding services of our interpreters and the selfless and dedicated support of our non-medical team members, photographers, and videographers.

2013 Mission Team