Navy Explores Military Medical Partnerships with Vietnam

By U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy's top medical corps officer discussed areas of mutual interest with senior military officials of the government of Vietnam during their visit to the United States, June 15.

Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr. met with Lt. Gen. Tran Quang Khue, vice chairman of Vietnam National Committee for Search and Rescue, and deputy chief of the General Staff, People's Army of Vietnam; and Senior Col. Gen. Vu Quoc Binh, surgeon general, People's Army of Vietnam; where they explored areas of enhanced military partnerships related to military medicine and medical research.

Robinson began discussions of possible military medical partnerships with Vietnam's military medical leadership in 2008, and visited the country in June 2010, to continue the dialogue. During the meeting in Washington, Robinson reemphasized the value of establishing global partnerships to meet common challenges.

"Medicine and medical research are universal languages," said Robinson. "Diseases affect us all the same way. By working together in areas such as infectious disease research, we help not only both our nations, but the world meet these health challenges."

In addition to discussions of collaboration on infectious disease research, other areas of discussion included HIV, Dengue fever, malaria, zoonotic diseases, infection control and undersea medicine.

"Military medical partnerships have been one of the best examples of the positive growing relationship between our two countries," said Binh. "We fully support Vietnam's medical cooperation with our U.S. counterparts."

Both countries continue to participate in high-level diplomatic exchanges, taking place both in Vietnam and in the United States. The most recent was Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus' trip to Vietnam Nov. 28, 2010, where he met with military leaders in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam's Naval Headquarters in Hai Phong, where he expressed the importance of building a strong bilateral relationship.

"As we look to the future, there is great potential for our two navies to work closely together on areas of mutual interest like maritime security, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as peacekeeping operations," said Mabus.

The United States and Vietnam have engaged in several medical engagements over the past years including the June 2010 visit of the Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) visit to Quy Nhon, Vietnam, as part of Pacific Partnership 2010 (PP10). While there, the PP10 team worked alongside the people of Binh Dinh Province to deliver a variety of humanitarian and civic assistance programs ashore and on board the hospital ship.

"We have seen great mutual benefit from our recent medical engagements with Vietnam and look forward to identifying additional opportunities to work together in areas of public health research, medical education and other areas," said Robinson. "I am inspired by the spirit and enthusiasm of these discussions and look forward to enhanced relations between our two countries."

Robinson oversees a global health care network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.