JAMES LEAHY MEMORIAL MEDICAL MISSION
THANH HOA DECEMBER 2-12, 1999 

The medical mission was named after Dr. James Leahy, a plastic surgeon from Kansas, who traveled with the team to Ninh Binh in November 98. Dr. Leahy performed reconstructive surgeries in many third world countries and Vietnam was his last mission when he passed away suddenly in November 99.

Participants - 43 VOLUNTEERS

• Surgery team: 3 Plastic surgeons, 1 Ophthalmologist, 3 Anesthesiologists, 1 Nurse-anesthetist, 5 Operating room Nurses, 3 Recovery room Nurses and 3 Engineers.
• Gynecology team: 2 Gynecologists, 1 Nurse-midwife, 1 Pathologist and 1 Oncologist
• Medical team: 5 Pediatricians, 1 Family Practitioner and 1 Internist/Preventive Medicine, and 2 Pharmacists.
• 7 Volunteers and 1 Photographer

Achievements

Surgical Repair:

• 96 children receiving corrective surgery : 45 Cleft lip/palate, 51 Ophthalmic procedures (cataracts, ptosis, strabismus)

Commune clinics:

• 450 patients treated during 2 Health clinics at Minh Khoi and Truong Trung Communes, district of Nong Cong, and at Trung Linh Hospice
• 200 Hearing screenings done at Thanh Hoa hospital and Day care. There is no known study or data on incidence of Hearing loss in Vietnamese children while advanced ear pathology is prevalent.

Medical Education - Lectures

• lectures at the National Pediatric Institute for 100 pediatricians & pediatric specialists (Issues in Cleft lip/palate repair, Advances in Pediatric Ophthalmology, Acute Respiratory Diseases, Update on Pediatric Asthma)
• lectures at the National Cancer Institute in medical oncology by Dr. Jerome Block.
• lectures at Thanh Hoa General Hospital for 50- 100 staff physicians (Cleft lip/palate Surgery, Common Pediatric Ophthalmic problems, Hypertension, Pediatric Asthma, Pediatric Respiratory Diseases, Newborn problems)
• lectures at Thanh Hoa Women’s Hospital for 50 staff physicians & midwives (Laparoscopic surgery, Infertility, Symposium on Breast Cancer, Symposium on Cervical Cancer, Obstetrical problems during prenatal period, labor and postpartum, Newborn Resuscitation & perinatal problems)
• lectures at Ninh Binh General Hospital for 100 staff physicians & nurses on Hypertension & Pediatric Asthma

• Training for staff physicians at Thanh Hoa General Hospital in the departments of stomatology, ophthalmology, anesthesia, pediatrics, medicine through surgeries in the operating room and medical rounds.
• Training for staff physicians at Thanh Hoa Women’s Hospital in the outpatient clinic, operating room, and inpatient rounds. 75 patients with suspicious cervical lesions were screened by colposcopy and biopsies were taken.
• Training for 40 midwives at Thanh Hoa Women’s Hospital in the clinic and labor/delivery.
• Training for 7 nurse practitioners from Trung Linh Hospice (Man Coi Sisters) and from Thanh Hoa Convent (Sisters of the Holy Cross)

Donations

National Pediatric Institute, value $1,500

Peak Flow Meters, Inhalation solution for nebulizer, Pediatric Stethoscopes, Medical Handbooks.

 Thanh Hoa General Hospital, value $24,500

Equipment: 5 Oxygen Concentrators, 1 EKG monitor, 1 Defibrillator, 1 Respirator, 2 Nebulizers, 1 Suction Machine
Instruments: 1 set for cleft lip/palate repair, 1 set for strabismus repair, 1 Otoscope, 1 Microscope, 2 Stethoscopes, Peak flow meters
Supplies: cautery tips, recovery room supplies & misc. surgical supplies.
Medicines: Antibiotics, Inhalation solutions, Asthma Inhalers, various meds & injectables.
Office machine : Fax machine
Medical books.
120 gift packages to patients (stuffed animals, toys, coloring books & crayons, toiletry items etc), a Nintendo set and toys for the Pediatric ward, toys and large stuffed animals for Thanh Hoa Hospital Daycare.
Cash donation $500

Women’s Hospital, value $15,000

Equipment: 1 Colposcope, 1 Fetal heart rate Doppler,
Instruments: 1 set for cervical biopsy, 1 Microscope, Speculas, 2 Fetoscopes
Medical Supplies
Office machine: 1 Slide projector

Ninh Binh General Hospital, value $1,500

Nebulizer, Peak flow meters, Inhalation solutions & Asthma inhalers

Communes of Minh Khoi & Truong Trung, Trung Linh Hospice, Thanh Hoa Holy Cross health clinic & Hanoi Homeless children project, to each $1,500 value:

Instruments : Stethoscope, Sphygmomanometer, Speculas, Glass syringes
Medicines : Antibiotics, Asthma Inhalers & Spacers, Antacids, Vitamins, Iron, Analgesics, Antifungals, Dermatologicals, Nasal sprays.
Cash donation of $1,500

Quang Binh province, for flood relief, value $3,000

Medicines: Water Purifier tablets, Water Purifying Pump, Antibiotics, Antidiarrheals, Analgesics, Asthma inhalers, Nasal sprays, Antacids, Vitamins, Iron, Anthelmintics, Cold & cough meds
Instruments: Speculas, Resuscitation equipment & Bulb syringes
Cash donation $1,500 to affected commune health centers

 EVALUATION

The surgical team worked harmoniously together, the surgical repairs were successful, anesthesia and recovery uneventful. Thanh Hoa surgeons for MaxilloFacial and Ophthalmology showed excellent skills. They worked constantly side by side with our surgeons, and by the third day Dr. Prepas was supervising 2 ongoing eye procedures.

The gynecological team worked very well with the staff of the Women’s Hospital in the outpatient clinic, on rounds and in surgery or delivery. Two separate tracks were conducted, for physicians and for midwives.

Thanh Hoa Hospital and the Women’s Hospital leaderships were enthusiastic, organized and flexible. Their cooperation promoted very productive interaction with the staff and successful medical education conferences.

Primary care departments (Pediatrics & Medicine) show great needs and little resources. Pediatricians were treating very sick patients with absence of even basic diagnostic tools (no otoscope or ophthalmoscope), and minimal laboratory studies. We have committed to provide the department with a lab on site for essential diagnostic tests.

Vitamin K deficiency leading to intracranial bleeding in the newborn is a common problem, yet routine neonatal vitamin K injections are given only in large provincial hospitals. We shall work towards adoption of Vitamin K injection at birth.