Singapore and Vietnam Work Together to Boost Haemodialysis Care in North Vietnam

On 21 January 2018, a classroom filled with over 30 haemodialysis caregivers from Hanoi, Vietnam and neighbouring provinces was abuzz with the cross-sharing of best practices in the field with their Singapore counterparts. This followed video demonstrations on current haemodialysis care procedures carried out by Singaporean medical staff. Topics include ‘Environmental Decontamination and Disinfection in a Dialysis Unit’ and ‘Management of Blood Spills’. They also witnessed ‘live’ clinical demonstrations by Singapore International Volunteers (SIV), comprising TTSH doctors and nurses specialised in Renal Medicine.

The demonstrations and exchanging of ideas kicked off the first clinical training workshop of the SIF’s Haemodialysis Care Project in North Vietnam. It aims to help meet increasing needs in haemodialysis care for over 5,000 patients with kidney illnesses in the region. The project will enable both sides to collaborate through a training-of-trainers approach. Over the next two-and-a-half years, Vietnamese participants, including a core group of master trainers, will also undergo various training workshops, leadership engagement sessions, and a study visit to Singapore.

“We, nurses working in the haemodialysis field, sincerely thank the SIF and Singapore International Volunteers from Tan Tock Seng Hospital for training us. It has only been two days but the experience and skills that they have shared have been highly valuable. The enthusiasm and dedication that they have shown motivate us to study and work harder. In my opinion, they are not only our lecturers, but also our friends and colleagues,” said Nguyen Bang Tung, master trainer and Head Nurse, Renal Department, Bach Mai Hospital.

At the launch ceremony, guest-of-honour Associate Professor Nguyen Duc Hinh, President of HMU, shared that the University aspires to seize opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges and learnings with other countries. He said: “Singapore is a developed country with an advanced healthcare training and service system. We hope that our collaboration with the SIF and TTSH will support the development of medical human resources in the field of haemodialysis and improve the standards of healthcare in Vietnam. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Singaporean partners in the coming years.”

Other notable guests included Singapore’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Catherine Wong; Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Chairman of the SIF; and Associate Professor Ha Phan Hai An, Director, International Cooperation, HMU and Head, Kidney Diseases and Dialysis Department, Viet Duc Hospital. Prof An, who will lead the Vietnamese trainees throughout the project, shared that: “For Vietnam, Singapore is an example that we are working hard to emulate. Singapore is an Asian country with similar backgrounds but we need to ask ourselves, why is it so well-developed? As Vietnam strives for development, perhaps we can learn from Singapore who also went through a difficult time but found ways to rise up. This [project] is a learning model for us.”

Since 1994, the SIF’s programmes seek to connect Singaporean and Vietnamese peoples to collaborate for positive change. The Haemodialysis Care Project is part of the SIF’s efforts to contribute to positive and sustainable development in Asia. This is in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-Being) and SDG 17 which centres on the value of global partnerships and cooperation.