NM DAARMETO
M/ 17 29 December 1972
MEDICAL AID TO VIET-NAM
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr E. G. Whitlan, announced
today that the Australian medical aid programme in Viet-Nam is to change
its emphasis from " patient care" aid to the fields of public health and
medical training. Mr Whitlam said that the revised programme follows a major review
of Australian medical aid to Viet-Nam. As part of this review a team of
three doctors led by Sir William Refshauge, the Director-General of
Health, visited Viet-Nam in November 1971. The team included a senior
Adelaide surgeon and former leader of two surgical teams in Viet-Nam,
Mr Mervyn Smith, and Dr J. Boxall, of the Department of Health. The new
programme is based on the review team's recommendations.
Mr Whitlam said that as part of the change, arrangements have now
been made for the Australian Surgical Team at Bien Hoa to be withdrawn at
the end of December. Since 1964 " patient care" aid has formed a major part
of the Australian medical aid programme in Viet-Nam comprising for the
most part surgical teams attached to selected provincial hospitals. In
1968, at the peak of the programme, 4+ 6 Australian doctors, nurses and
support staff treated approximately 59,000 patients and performed over
10,000 operations in four provincial hospitals. During the patient care
programme nearly 500 doctors, nurses and support staff recruited from all
Australian states served in Viet-Nam.
Mr Whitlam said he wished to draw attention to the valuable assistance
provided by state medical authorities, the Repatriation Department and major
city hospitals in forming surgical teams.
The phasing out of the final surgical team at Bien Hoa will coincide
with the completion of a major re-building project at the Bien Hoa hospital
carried out under the medical aid programme at a cost of $ 1,450,000. The
new medical assistance programme has already taken shape and Australia is
constructing a prophylactic and diagnostic clinic in Saigon at an estimated
cost of $ 250,000. This community health clinic will provide normal outpatient
facilities, dispensary, a small laboratory, X-ray facilities, minor
operating room and a maternity wing. The building is expected to be
completed by April.
In addition to the public health clinic project, medical training
programmes for Vietnamese civil medical teachers and public health staff are
being planned. These courses will be held in Australia and Viet-Nam. Already,
at the request of the Vietnamese authorities, a senior Australian surgeon is
undertaking a training programme for medical teaching staff at the Cho Ray
teaching hospital in Saigon. Further training assistance within Viet-Nam
is planned for doctors in the fields of X-ray diagnosis, E. N. T. surgery and
public health administration.
L