Equipment

Facing the World recognises that the right equipment is crucial to the creation of effective craniofacial units, and so in collaboration with the Vietnamese medical teams we have established a list of what is needed. The aim is not only to provide instruments but also, in a unique approach, to teach using consumables which are available in Vietnam. We are currently working with the local doctors to determine which consumables are both available and domestically approved. This will make for a truly sustainable solution.

Medical equipment is donated either by Facing the World or directly by the companies that produce it. Just one microscope can enable a surgeon to complete an additional 100 complex surgeries, and many doctors can use that same microscope, giving an obvious multiplying benefit. Doctors at Viet Duc University Hospital do not have their own microscopes and the need to share the few that are available can often cause delays to operations. A Zeiss Vario microscope has therefore already been donated to the hospital. This is one of many examples of where a donation can generate a lasting benefit. Without equipment and investment of this kind, the complex surgeries that are required to treat many craniofacial abnormalities simply cannot be carried out.