Healing, Sight, and the Power of Community in Vietnam

Our recent medical mission to Vietnam was a resounding success, reaching deep into communities to provide essential healthcare and humanitarian aid. Across eight days of intensive outreach, our GAiN team working alongside dedicated Vietnamese volunteers and local partners, provided medical care to 967 individuals. In addition to treating common ailments, our humanitarian efforts included distributing 522 pairs of eyeglasses and providing 130 sets of LuoPads for women’s hygiene initiatives.

Critical Diagnoses and the Power of Local Compassion

Our medical teams observed that the most prevalent diagnoses among patients included chronic musculoskeletal pain (such as back and knee pain), hypertension (high blood pressure), and significant age-related vision impairment.

We also witnessed the essential role of community care. On one of the hottest days of the mission, the dedication extended far beyond our volunteer team. We watched as a 79-year-old woman, frail from Parkinson’s disease and other health issues, arrived at the clinic in her wheelchair. What stood out wasn’t her illness, but the hand that brought her: her dedicated neighbour. The elderly lady had no family support and no means to travel, but her neighbour went to extraordinary lengths to ensure she reached our doctors for a consultation, arranging her transport and assisting her all the way to the clinic door.

This example of selfless community care deeply moved our team. Despite the heat, the difficulty of the journey, and a short wait at the clinic, the 79-year-old woman maintained a grateful spirit (she had the most beautiful smile). Her successful visit was a powerful affirmation that our mission connects resources with the incredible local desire to care for one another.

LuoPads: Delivering Dignity and Hygiene

Our humanitarian aid extended to women’s health and hygiene education. We were proud to distribute 130 LuoPad kits across various communities. A significant portion of this distribution was dedicated to a local school for orphans, ensuring both students and female teachers had access to these vital supplies.

Quality Care in Ocular Health

Across eight clinic days, our optical team was incredibly busy, distributing 522 pairs of eyeglasses. The overall vision data showed a high prevalence of age-related vision impairment and cataracts.

Our success really came down to the size and great teamwork of our volunteers: we were able to assign additional personnel to assist the optometrist with fitting and adjustments, ensuring that every patient who received glasses had a full, professional, and personalised eye care experience.

During our mission, we encountered a security guard whose story perfectly illustrates the critical need for simple resources like eyeglasses in the communities we served.

In Vietnam, it's common to see a security guard sitting outside almost every store, and this story just happened to involve the guard of a nearby optical shop.

He had known for years that his sight was deteriorating, a diagnosis confirmed by a previous free test. However, due to his limited income, purchasing the corrective lenses was simply out of reach, even though he worked right next door to where they were sold. For an individual whose job relies on acute awareness of his surroundings, losing his sight was jeopardising his ability to work and provide for his family.

He visited our clinic, and within minutes, our optometrist assessed his needs. We were able to provide him with a pair of eyeglasses that instantly corrected his vision.

The transformation was immediate and moving! He had the biggest smile and continually looked from his surroundings to our team members. This moment was a great reminder of the immense value of this mission: providing sight to those who protect our communities, restoring confidence, and delivering a life-changing solution at no cost to him.

Our Vietnam medical mission provided essential medical relief and demonstrated the profound power of dedicated teamwork and community spirit. From restoring the sight of a security guard to supporting an elderly lady in her quest for care, every interaction reinforced the value of your support.

Thank you for partnering with us to deliver health, hope, and dignity to the people of Vietnam. If you would like to support future missions or learn more about our ongoing work, please click here.

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Healing, Sight, and the Power of Community in Vietnam

Critical Diagnoses and the Power of Local Compassion

LuoPads: Delivering Dignity and Hygiene

Quality Care in Ocular Health

In Vietnam, it's common to see a security guard sitting outside almost every store, and this story just happened to involve the guard of a nearby optical shop.

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