Hands-on interventional nephrology workshop benefits kidney care for patients in Vietnam
ISN Educational Ambassador John Swinnen from Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia shared his expertise with doctors and nurses at Cho Ray Hospital (CRH) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This was a valuable onsite training that is set to change how local doctors and nurses will carry out their interventional procedures.
Dr Swinnen explains how he hoped to contribute to the future state of care at the Vietnamese institute: “I do believe that the local medical professionals can achieve 80% of what we achieve in Australia in terms of hemodialysis outcomes at a small fraction of the cost, by adapting hemodialysis access systems to the local setting.”
He also wanted to transmit importance of dialysis access nurses, saying they should be “a central component of the course and when managing patients, especially in the role of fistula surveillance.”
Cho Ray Hospital acts as a referral center in the southern Vietnam. Swinnen believes it should be promoted and services extended.
Huong Tran from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam add to this statement: “I would recommend other institutions get involved in this program.”
This workshop helped improve Vietnamese physicians’ understanding of AVF theory and practice. For the majority of this community, overseas training is limited due to the language barrier and financial restrictions.
He adds: “The opportunity to have the whole week with Dr Swinnen was the most rewarding experience of this visit.”
The Educational Ambassadors Program advances nephrology in the developing world through very concrete hands-on training programs. Centers in emerging countries can request a teacher or an expert to join them onsite for specific hands-on training or to initiate and develop community based research and screening programs.
CLICK HERE for further information about this ISN Program. The deadlines for applications are May 1st and October 1st every year.
