A Report on Medical Assistance for Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate and Technical Transfer in Vietnam

We had participated in the charitable operation for the patients with cleft lip and palate and technical suidance in Vietnam in 1998 for 2 weeks. The project was a part of the activities of the Japanese Cleft Palate Foundation, which were performed as part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) of Japan, and was aided by state subsidy of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and so on. Our team consisted of members of Tokyo Dental College, Iwate Medical University, Dalhousie University, and our university. The hospital we visited was Odonto-Maxillo-Facial Center in Ho Chi Min City, which had 7 clinical departments, 36 dental units, 60 beds in ward, and 75 doctors in total. This hospital dealt with all kinds of disease in connection with oral and maxillo-facial area including dental caries, periodontal disease, maxillo-facial injuries, and maxillo-facial anomalies. Forty-five patients with cleft lip and palate were operated on during our stay in Vietnam. The age of these patients was higher than that in medical advanced countries because of economic problems and insufficient medical institutions. In some cases, surgery was performed in collaboration with local doctors, which means technical suidance leads to more effective treatment.