East Meets West helps disabled in Quang Ngai

Original Source VietNamNet Bridge Two hospitals in central Quang Ngai Province kicked off construction and upgrade of their rehabilitation centres on August 4 with assistance from the East Meets West Foundation (EMW). The construction is part of EMW’s Support Network for People with Disabilities (SN-PWD) that is funded by Ford Foundation and some other donors. With a financial assistance of 2.1 billion VND, the Dang Thuy Tram Hospital in Duc Pho District will build a 500-ha rehabilitation centre and upgrade its equipment. The Son Tinh District Hospital is also provided with nearly 1 billion VND for upgrading its rehabilitation centre. When the rehabilitation centres of the two hospitals go into operation, EMW will open training courses on rehabilitation for medical workers, who will then provide care for local people with disabilities. EMW Executive Director John Anner said SN-PWD began in Quang Ngai Province in January 2007 and it was expanded to northern Thai Binh province in September of that year, having provided support in healthcare, education and vocational training for more than 22,000 disabled people in the areas most severely affected by dioxin. By the end of June 2008, the project has conducted surgery for more than 200 people with disabilities and given physical therapy to more than 800 others. Additionally, 87 disabled people were provided jobs and more than 500 medical workers were provided with physical therapy training under the project. (Source: VNA)