Dr. Franklin Kasmin, Dr. David Robbins and I returned to Vietnam to continue Global Medical Volunteers mission to improve the delivery of medical and surgical services in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Kasmin and Dr. Robbins participated in a symposium on Gastroenterology in Hue, the old Imperial city of Vietnam, and in Ho Chi Minh city.

They demonstrated the latest techniques of diagnosing and treating benign polyps and cancers of the large intestine using colonoscopes.  These are the most sophisticated techniques in treating small cancers of the colon as an outpatient. 

Future Programs

We then went to the city of Nha Trang where I donated urological equipment necessary for treatment of bladder tumors, enlarged prostates and urinary obstruction of the kidneys.  I worked with the Vietnamese surgeons in the operating room demonstrating the use of these instruments and surgical techniques.

Dr. Kasmin and Dr. Robbins once again conducted a symposium on the advance techniques of diagnosing and treating polyps and small cancers of the colon.  Dr. Kasmin also donated abundant surgical instruments and accessories needed for these procedures. They then went to the operating room with the Vietnamese surgeons to demonstrate and teach these surgical techniques. 

For over 15 years, Global medical volunteers has sponsored several orphanages in Nha Trang city. We visited these orphanages and furnished them with food and clothing and even repaired the plumbing in a Catholic orphanage. This is a project that we will continue every year.

For over one year I have been planning to start a similar Global Medical Volunteers project in Myanmar.  I've been in contact with the local doctors in a remote Buddhist hospital who are very enthusiastic about working with us.  

My plans had been to go to Myanmar in October of this year to deliver urological equipment necessary to treat surgical problems of the prostate and bladder.  The local surgeon has been communicating with me often and is very excited about learning these techniques.

At the last minute the government of Myanmar placed some administrative obstacles and requirements that necessitated my canceling this trip. I have now furnished the government with the information that they requested. I have rescheduled my visit for March 2018. Whether or not this is possible depends solely on the attitude of the government of Myanmar.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, April 2017

Nha Trang, Vietnam, April 2017