Weekend Trip to Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien National Park is located around 150 km (2-4 hours) away from HCMC. It is a protected area, its conservation project is operated by the World Wildlife Fund. Some of the species that live in the park (though I didn't get to see them) include the Javan Rhinoceros, Siamese crocodile, and many different types of monkeys. The main functions of the park includes: conserve and rehabilitate nature, provide research opportunities for national and international scientists, act as a tourist destination, and preserve the watershed of Tri An Reservoir.

A very interesting question was asked during my visit: Species vs. Poverty - space for people to live, or for animals to live? As a result of its conservation project, ethnic minority groups that once resided within the park have been moved as part of a resettlement project.

There are now facilities set up for visitors including lodges, campsites, a restaurant. There are also trails available to walk around in the rainforest.

Vietnam News article about the Central Highlands Charity

A group of doctors and nurses from Ho Chi Minh city, in collaboration with the Embassy of Israel in Vietnam together with the Vietnam Fatherland Front, visited Kon Ray District in late May to conduct free health checks and treatments.

The medical team consisted of nine doctors, seven nurses and twenty-one other logistics staff members. They offered medical treatment in the five communes of Dac Rve, Dac Tre, Dac To Lung, Dac Ruong and Tan Lap in Kon Ray District, Kon Tum Province.

A total of 2,531 people received dental and medical examinations and treatments. One child suffering from an inguinal hernia will be taken to HCM City for an operation free of charge. Two more children suspected of suffering from heart related diseases will be further examined at Kon Tum General Hospital. If the team's initial diagnoses are correct, they will also be taken to HCM City for operations. The Vietnam Family Medical Practice will cover all related costs.

The team delivered a large amount of general supplies and foodstuffs directly to local people at health checks and treatment points in two more communes of Kon Ray District known as Dac Koi and Dac Pne.

Each commune or town received 350kg of rice and 30kg of salt together with other provisions like toys, soap, shampoo, clothes, learning materials and condoms.

Based on the initial response, there is a good likelihood that co-operation between the Israeli Embassy, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Vietnam Family Medical Practice will continue in the future.

The Kon Tum health department is also working on a project funded by the Sweden International Development Agency to present similar public health checks and treatments every six months in Kon Tum villages up to 2009.

Dong, director of the project, said they were also working on another health project with the European Commission.

-VNA/VNS

To All Staff for this Charity Medical Project

Thank you all for your important contributions to making our Kon Tum Central Highlands trip the huge success that it was.

The trip was a compilation of help and work from everyone. Great planning and preparation was essential to making this trip run so smoothly both for those who went and those who stayed. Firstly thank you to the cleaners and staff members who sorted and packed the many towels, sheets, clothes, donations, food and medicines. This was a timely job that took a lot of effort. Thank you to those who organized the medication and supplies, this gave us a great base to start with and allowed us the task of handing all these goodies out.

Also a big thanks to those who stayed behind in the clinic. Your workload was doubled and without your efforts, the clinic would have closed for the week. To all the doctors, nurses, front desk staff, accountants, etc., a big THANK YOU.

Finally to the staff members that made the journey to Kon Tum, I'm sure you will all agree it was an amazing trip, which took us from the beauty of the beach to the poverty of the provinces. The dedication and teamwork from everyone was fantastic. We managed to see hundreds of people and gave the many donations out to the very needy people.

Thank you all so much for your efforts; I am very proud of the way we all came together to help the people of the Kon Tum Central Highlands.

Great teamwork--excellent team spirit!

The land.

The land.

The land.

The land.

How to get there.

How to get there.

How to get there

Real men.

Real men.

Real men.

Real men.

She's a lady.

She's a lady.

She's a lady.

Life.

Life.

Life.

Life.

Life.

Cutaneous larva migrans from swimming in the local river.

Toe crush injury by a cow, with secondary cellulitis.

Dental team.

Dental team.

Looking in on the dental team.

In action; teaching the basics of dental care.

In action; teaching the basics of dental care.

THE internal medicine docs of Vietnam!

Back from the Central Highlands Charity!

The Healthcare Relief Project in the central highlands added to the connection that I have with my mother country. I left Vietnam in 1975 to the USA. I grew up learning about my native culture only through my household in the USA. So when I first came back for holiday in Vietnam in 1997, hearing Vietnamese spoken, smelling the Vietnamese food, hearing the Vietnamese music, and seeing the Vietnamese fashions--all made me feel like I was right at home; in a household made up of millions of Vietnamese people! Now in 2006, after having lived in Vietnam for 2 years, the nostalgia has worn off a bit. Providing care to the most needy and deserving peoples of Vietnam fueled my passion for my native country. The financial backbone of Vietnam to this day remains with agriculture. The millions working to keep Vietnam viable get lost in the statistics. This project let me cut through the statistics; where I found the individuals who are the everyday, unsung heroes of Vietnam.