Vietnam: MEDCAP 5

I ventured into Vietnam on July 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th to assist with MEDCAP 5 (Medical Civic Action Program) at the Hung Loi Primary School.  All MEDCAP sites in Vietnam were located in the Hung Nguyen district of Nghe An.  The school I was at consisted of two, two story buildings surrounded by a concrete barrier.  The surrounding area included rice paddies and wilderness.  Two families had stands set up outside the school selling drinks, fruit, and jewelry.  The children of the families were adorable and would run into the school to play with some of the members working there.  The pharmacy was set up in one of the classrooms.  We had a lot of room to work, with the medications set up on wooden school tables lining 3 walls.  The room had ceiling fans.  However, with temperatures around 100 degrees and high humidity we still did a lot of sweating.

Family Outside of MEDCAP site

 

Three pharmacy team members form the USNS Mercy staffed the pharmacy, along with two Japanese pharmacists and one helper and three Vietnamese translators. 

Pharmacy Team Day 1

Pharmacy Team Day 3

With a total of nine of us working, we were able to dispense the medications without much of a wait.  I loved watching the teamwork between not only the different countries working together in the pharmacy, but also how the different health professions came together to provide the best patient care possible.  I was told Vietnam was not as busy as Indonesia and the Philippines.  Our patient totals were around 80, 200, and 300 on days one, two, and three respectively.  Many of the patients were older females with wrinkles, white hair, and black teeth.  I thought they were adorable (yes, even with the poor oral hygiene).  Later I learned that the discoloration of the teeth was due to chewing betel nut, a small fruit of the areca palm (I highly suggest googling for a picture of the betel smile).  Each family received only one ticket to get aid at the MEDCAP.  Often an elder member of the family was chosen to receive medical care, reflecting the respect placed upon the elderly in Vietnam.  I did not have much interaction with the patients due to the language barrier and our highly efficient interpreters.  I will say though that a smile is universal!

Working in the Pharmacy

The Japanese pharmacy members helped keep things fun in the pharmacy by bringing origami, stickers, bubbles, and fans to pass out to the patients.  Thankfully I also received some bubble solution with the coolest bubble wand ever.  I spent about an hour during our mandatory two hour lunch break to blowing bubbles with the translators.  

The Navy Band performed at our MEDCAP for two days.  Since we had a slower moment in the pharmacy, one of our translators, Harry, and I went down to listen to the band play “Moves Like Jagger” the first day there were at our MEDCAP.  I leaned in to have her take a picture of me with the band in the background and ended up getting pulled into some dancing.  Unfortunately the only other people that joined in were Harry and a darling little Vietnamese girl.  We still had a good time though.  The next day we were too busy to go watch the band, but we could hear the music in the pharmacy, resulting in a couple of mini dance parties in the pharmacy!

The Navy Band

Did He Really Just Say That?

As a side note, we had to take a 45 minute boat ride and then an hour bus ride to get to and from our MEDCAP site.  By the time I arrived back at the pier the first day I was really hot and not looking my best.  Even so, I received my first ever Vietnamese marriage proposal.  I was with a pharmacist who speaks Vietnamese and she was able to translate.  The conversation went like this:

Vietnamese guy:  “Ask her if she has a boyfriend.”

Me:  laughing

Vietnamese guy:  “Ask her if she’s willing to marry a Vietnamese man.”

Me:  laughing harder

Vietnamese guy:  “Tell her I’ll learn English for her.”

Me: laughing even harder

I was so stunned and found the situation so amusing I just couldn’t stop laughing.  I probably should have handled that situation a little better…