What Cardiovascular Mission Is

Wellness Global Foundation’s cardiovascular mission has been quite active in trainings Vietnamese doctors.  Headed by WGF’s board member Dr. Natzi Sakalihasan, the mission sprouted from the medical need that was recognized after evaluating the progress of WGF’s  Renal Surgery and Training Program.  Wellness Global Foundation’s Cardiovascular Mission consists of a series of medical missions in which medical professionals from Liège, Belgium travel to Vietnam and perform several cardiovascular procedures, as well as provide training to Vietnamese medical staff.

What Cardiovascular Mission has Achieved

After much assessment, the first cardiac surgery took place in 2007 in the HCMC Public Hospital 115 with seven more medical missions following. To date, WGF’s Cardiovascular Mission has performed more than 120 cardiac intervention surgeries. The medical professionals that attend the missions not only include surgeons, but also nurses, perfusionists, and anesthesiologists who work with the Vietnamese project leader Dr. Dung and his staff at Hospital 115.  The Belgian medical professionals also lead trainings for the local staff as part of the medical missions.

 As a result of more specialized trainings, Dr. Dung and his staff can now perform two cardiac surgeries a day and aim to improve their skills and efficiency to enable three cardiac surgeries to be performed every day at Hospital 115. These achievements have caused the medical missions to be endorsed by the University of Liège for accreditation and allowed some Vietnamese professionals to attend courses in Liège. Wellness Global Foundation’s cardiovascular mission has addressed a critical need for cardiovascular care in the burgeoning developing city of HCMC.  The mission has a committed goal to continue cardiac surgeries while honing the techniques of Vietnamese medical professionals in order to provide a sustained cardiovascular practice in Vietnam for years to come.