A REWARD

During Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs) project implementation, it’s always satisfying for the VNHIP team when we get to witness the patient’s disease become better controlled and the capacity for health care management of NCDs at the local level improved. One of the districts we are currently working in is Duy Nghia - a beautiful island where the living standard is still relatively poor.

One client presented with both Hypertension and Diabetes. Five months ago, doctors at Danang hospital where he initially sought treatment suggested he needed insulin injections, which he commenced. This proved very difficult. Too frightened to inject himself, he attended the clinic in his local town daily for them to inject him. He then decided to seek treatment at nearby Duy Xuyen district hospital instead. Although he took the medicine as it was prescribed to him, his blood pressure and blood sugar level were not controlled to acceptable levels.

He was recommended for the VNHIP NCD trial where he has attended for around one month now. Within one month’s treatment following our NCD Management protocol and guidelines, his blood sugar decreased to 7.1 mmol/l and his blood pressure was down to 130/80 from 160/100.

While the medication used in the VNHIP protocol is the same used in Duy Xuyen hospital or Da Nang hospital, one of the major differences of the VNHIP protocol for commune health center is its focus on patient counselling and education, which happens on a fortnightly basis to begin with. Throughout this process, local medical staff come to more easily understand the personality, circumstance and condition of the clients. They also get to know whether the medication is working, side effects and any other barriers to compliance with treatment. Just as importantly where NCDs are concerned, conversations happen about lifestyle factors contributing to disease and to self-management. While such information counselling has become pretty standard fare in the West, it is still a rare phenomenon here in Viet Nam.

During a follow up meeting with Quang Nam Department of Health, Dr. Dung who is the director of Duy Nghia clinic, has reported positive results and clear behavioural differences in patients who have applied VNHIP’s protocol.

This is one of the greatest rewards for team VNHIP.