Training of Radiographers in Vietnam

4/3/2009

 

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM

 

For about two years, a project to help to train vietnamese radiographers has been in preparation.

Initiated by the Epicentre Network company, represented by Mr Nguyen, this project aims to put in relation french and vietnamese training centres and in future, to develop a distance education structure.

Hai Duong University, located next to Hanoi, started this project in collaboration with the school of Orleans, represented by Mrs Le Goazigo, Director of this radiographer school.

Above: Mr Gerson with Director of Paramedcial School of Hanoi and Pr Vu Long

In 2008, it welcomed a Hai Duong teachers delegation to do  work shadowing .

AFPPE was also contacted because of the relationship that it has been having with our vietnamese colleagues in Hanoi area for ten years now.

Mrs Zerroug, Director of radiographer  school in Paris  and myself joined this training project.

Before beginning our action in Hai Duong, we have been welcomed by Dr Bernatas, health counsellor for the French Embassy in Hanoi, in order to talk about the situation of radiology in Vietnam.

In a few words, Vietnam has technical equipment. There are many CT , MRI, and CR. Only radiotherapy and nuclear medecine are less developed even if a PET Scan is used in Hanoi.

Thanks to the work of the GREF (group of radiologists and teachers of French language), many vietnamese radiologists  have been trained on our territory.

As for radiographers, it is illusory to consider training them in France.

It seems more interesting and more prolific to deal with the trainers and to structure the training.

On that account, we met the x-ray technicians and the radiologists interlocutors before leaving for Hai Duong.

Pr Vu Long and the manager of the X-ray Department of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi received us to make together a preliminary analysis of the training needs.

In Vietnam, radiographers training is managed by the University.

There is no national diploma, since each university is free to put in place a 2, 3 or 4-year training program.

Nowadays, the two-year training program, mostly designed for radiographers doing “projection imaging”, is being given up.

Indeed, with the boom of imaging (Bach Mai hospital has 7 scanners and 3 IRM), vietnamese universities turn to a four-year training.

Yet it is important to mention that the last year is mainly dedicated to work placements.

Above: Mrs Zerroug and Mrs Le Goazigo with radiographers and students

As AFPPE, we have decided to keep our relationship with our Hanoi interlocutors in order to help them to overhaul their training courses.

Nevertheless, as our first misson was on Hai Duong, we have continued our work in collaboration with the local training team composed of two radiologists.

Hai Duong possesses a major asset : a radiological consultation clinic within the University.

The principle is the following :

Students at the end of their studies give patients an X-ray, supervised by a radiologist teacher who construe the films .

Patients benefit from reduced fees.

The project to improve training has now begun so it should be kept on and made durable.

The X-ray job is only open to men due to the radiation and the hardness of the job (law in force in the country). Women are not allowed to exercise !!!.

We would like to thank all our interlocutors of Hai Duong and Hanoi universities for welcoming us and sharing with us their culture, which gave us the opportunity to discover a tradition-rich and forward-looking country.

 

P. GERSON

Council member ISRRT France