[Washington, DC - June 9, 2011] - HVO is pleased to announce the establishment of an oncology program in Vietnam at the Hue College of Medicine and Pharmacy.  Located in central Vietnam, this 600 bed facility provides health care to 18 provinces in the central and highland areas of Vietnam serving a total population of more than 20 million. In the past 50 years, more than 12,000 health professionals have been trained at this center. The oncology department trains 30 residents and 2 oncology fellows each year.

The goal of the program is to assist in training physicians, surgeons, nurses, laboratory personnel and other health providers in up-to-date advances in the clinical care of oncology patients including management of lung cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer and reconstruction, esophageal cancer, GI cancers, lymphoma, and cervical cancer.   Surgical training for breast cancer, esophageal cancer, gynecologic and pancreatic cancer will also be addressed. Volunteers will be involved conducting ward rounds, surgical demonstrations, bedside training and didactic lectures.  

The center currently provides chemotherapy as an inpatient service but is interested in developing an infrastructure to deliver chemotherapy to outpatients.   Due to lack of screening programs, many patients present with advanced disease.  There is a rudimentary palliative care program and no hospice facilities.  There is a small amount of blood bank support.  Most of the medications on the WHO list of essential medicines are available. 

This program has been developed with the support of the American Society of Clinical Oncology which has been a sponsor of HVO for several years.  Volunteers must be appropriately trained and credentialed oncology professionals including physicians, laboratory professionals and nurses, who have been in active practice for at least 5 years and are board certified.

A private, non-profit organization, HVO was founded in 1986 to improve global health through education.  HVO designs and implements clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management.  In more than 25 resource-poor countries, HVO volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances.

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