Krunal's Blog

Day 1

After travelling 23 hours and about 8,679 miles, we reached Ho Chi Minh City at midnight of Sunday March, 5, 2017. After a good night's rest, our day started with meeting all the IPSAC members on the trip this year. It was a really great experience to meet doctors, surgeons, and therapists from all across the States who came together to help out in whatever way they can. While doing some networking, we had lunch and wrapped up our morning. Then, we headed out exploring Ho Chi Minh City. This excursion around the city and the market was something I will never forget. The people, culture, and places are so welcoming and friendly that the heat did not even bother me. Finally, we ended our day with a self barbecue dinner which was definitely a thing worth trying.

Below are a few picture from the day: (Left)The place where the IPSAC team met. (Middle) A statue of Ho Chi Minh. (Right) Okras on the grill and eggplants waiting to be grilled.

Day 3

Today started like yesterday with breakfast and a ride to Nhi Dong 1 in the ambulance with Mrs. Sa. At the hospital there was a huge crowd as soon as we entered but not for the reason expected at a hospital. The crowd was because the hospital had a flower arranging competition among the male staff in honor of International Women's Day which is March 8th. There was so much excitement in the atmosphere, and there were so many different colorful flowers. Many times it felt as if we were not even at a hospital. The thing that touched me the most about the competition was that the people who made the arrangements found so much happiness and pride in what they made even if it was as simple as a vase with roses. After that the Mrs. Sa and the hospital arranged a lunch for us at a Pho place where we were joined by Vu Nguyen. Later it was time for our presentation about the flow hood to the hospital staff. We found some valuable feedback from the staff and addressed some of their concerns so that we can deliver the flow hood to the hospital. Then we observed how the IV medication and nutrition is mixed. To end the day, I got a shampoo and head massage which was very relaxing. Later for dinner we went to a street market style food place which had food stalls from many different countries. I found this to be very interesting and unexpected.

Below are a few picture from the day: (Left) A flower arrangement made by the male staff of Nhi Dong 1. (Middle) The opening slide of the presentation Dr. Kotche gave. (Right) The outodoors street market style food place.

Day 4 - Women's Day!

I knew today was going to be different than the past three days, and it definitely was different than the past two days. The day started by us meeting our tour guide at the hotel. While learning about Vietnamese history and culture, we took a hour and a half long drive down to the Mekong Delta. Learning about the history and culture through the first and second hand experiences of the tour guide was something really helpful to gain a deeper understanding of this vibrant country. The first place we stopped at was a Mekong rest area to use the "Happy Room" aka the restroom. Then, our first attraction of the tour was a Pagoda. Here I got to see different kinds of Buddha statues and watch a monk offer a prayer. Then our next attraction was a boat trip away on an island across the river. Here we had some exotic tropical fruits like Dragonfruit, Chiku, Pineapple with salt and chili, jack fruit and Dragon's eyes. While enjoying the fruit we had a chance to learn about traditional Vietnamese musical instruments and a live performance by professionals. Then, we visited a local family's house that had a pet python and bee hives. We had a refreshing tea with fresh honey before hopping back on the boat which took us to another island for a coconut candy making workshop. Thereafter, we took a ride on horse cart to go to a place to get on a long canoe like boat rowed by a local expert. That was probably the highlight of my day, as I have a fear of large bodies of water. Finally we went back to the Mekong rest area where we had a eight dish meal before heading back to Saigon. Today's tour really made me realize that Vietnam is more than roads filled with mopeds and tall buildings or construction everywhere.

Below are a few picture from the day: (Left)A statue of a sleeping Buddha at the Pagoda. (Middle) Dragon's eye. (Right) The canoe style boat we took to after the horse cart ride.

Day 5

Day 5 started by having a meeting with the doctors and a few members of the hospital administration. At the meeting we were able to understand the concerns of the hospital and decide on the next steps to get the hood to Vietnam. Then we had a brief meeting with a member of the hospital's technician staff. This meeting was helpful in gaining an understanding on whether it is feasible to make a flow hood in Vietnam with locally sourced parts. We also got a tour of their 'mechanic shop' which was really incredible because there weren't a lot of fancy tools or equipment there yet the engineer and technician were able to repair almost everything in the hospital. Today was a short work day so we got to relax afterwards and enjoy more of the food, like the Banh Mi, and market of Saigon.

Below are a few picture from the day: (Left)Waiting for the meeting to start at Nhi Dong 1.(Middle) The delicious Banh Mi. (Right) The mechanic shop at Nhi Dong 1.

Day 6

Today was an early day so we grabbed breakfast in a box and took a taxi to the Ministry of Health Cho Ray Hospital at 6 am. Cho Ray is one of the biggest and busiest general hospital in Saigon with more than a thousand beds and 6000 plus outpatient cases each day. We had a chance to join the thoracic surgery department's meeting. The meetings are held in English every Friday so that the doctors can practice their English which I thought very neat. The meeting started by a nurse going over basics in Vietnamese followed by a resident student explaining the day's scheduled surgeries to all the doctors in the team. I found it very interesting that the head surgeon gave suggestions to the doctor performing the procedure and the decisions were made in front of everyone with everyone's consent. There were also a few cases in which the patients were called in and explained their options. Then they got to chose and consent in front of all the doctors and nurses. We were told that this happens so there is transparency in every decision made. Dr. Kotche and Lindsay were also able to share details about the flow hood and our project at Nhi Dong 1 with the team of doctors. After that meeting, we also had a chance to observe a presentation by a team of RekSeal which is a type of a adhesive for lacerations which can be used in place of sutures. Finally, we had a chance to observe the hospital setting which was very surprising to me. The rooms were made to have 6 beds, but there were rooms with 12 to 18 beds as well as beds in the hallway. Overall, it was truly a great experience to observe such a big general hospital. Later today, we went for lunch and ice cream. Afterwards we went to a Hindu temple. The environment of the temple was really relaxing and calming which I what I liked the most about it. I also got to share some information about my religion with my trip mates.

Below are a few picture from the day: (Left)Cho Ray Hospital.(Right) Sri Thendayuthapani Hindu Temple.

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Day 7

Today we got to sleep in as it was not a work day. So after a late breakfast, we decided to explore a different part of the city and went to the market in the Cholon area which is the china town area of Saigon. Here the market was a lot different than the other market in district 1. This market was a lot more cozier and suited for the locals rather than tourists. This for me was the best part because I got to experience what a local person would in a market. Then we went to Cong where we had a really good coconut coffee smoothie. In the afternoon we met with 3 tour guides who took us for lunch, a visit to the Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum, and a street food tour. The guides were three girls our age in college. So this was a great opportunity for us to learn about Vietnam's culture and practices from the viewpoint of someone my age. Also, we got to share some information about US. So it was like a mini cultural exchange. We also went to authentic Vietnamese restaurants and had Che which is a Vietnamese dessert. Although I didn't enjoy Che a lot, I definitely enjoyed spending the day with the guides, going to the museums and learning more about Vietnam. It was our last day in Vietnam, and I must say I will miss this country, the people, the atmosphere, the weather, the experiences, and the coffee.

Below are a few picture from the day: (Left)The market in Cholon.(Middle)A fighter plane from the Vietnam War at the Independence Palace.(Right) Che.