Dr Charlotte Ducote writes...

There has been great interest in speech therapy in many areas of Vietnam. It is, however, a nascent discipline in that southeast Asian country. Most of the interest seems to have been from rehabilitation specialists (physicians, physical therapists, and nurses in rehabilitation departments), dentists, and ear-nose-throat physicians. There has been attention from others as well, though. 

Each year there seem to be more efforts made in Vietnam to increase special education in designated schools for children with disabilities and/or in schools or programs related to orphanages. There are also efforts through various governmental agencies and national organizations to address the cause of individuals, especially children, with special needs. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individual clinicians from outside Vietnam also have been helping to sponsor activities designed to increase awareness of how to help people with speech, language, and related disorders.  

As of early 2002, there were no college/university training programs in speech therapy or audiology in Vietnam.  In addition, no one from Vietnam has left the country to enrol in a college/university training program in speech therapy.  This is probably related to financial issues and/or availability of anyone who has sufficient fluency in English or other language to study outside of Vietnam.  There are individuals who are very fluent in English and who are interested in speech therapy, but for various reasons (i.e., family commitments, financial issues, etc.) cannot leave the country for an extended period of time to complete a speech therapy training course. 

There are some workshops being offered in speech therapy by Dr. Vu Thi Bich Hanh at Bach Mai Hospital and/or in hospitals or public health centers in Hanoi and regions nearby. 

There is a small Speech Therapy Unit at Bach Mai Hospital.   (See info re: Dr. Hanh below in the section for Hanoi.)  Dr. Nguyen Xuan Nghien, director of Rehabilitation Medicine at Bach Mai Hospital and President of the Vietnam Rehabilitation Association, is also very supportive of speech therapy being further developed in Vietnam.  

Drs.Tran Thi Thu Ha and Tran Trong Hai of the Rehabilitation Department of the National Institute of Pediatrics (Vien Nhi Quoc Gia)  in Hanoi also promote speech therapy in Vietnam and there are several people at that hospital with the job title of speech therapist.  They have sponsored speech therapy workshops at their hospital and have also gone to other provinces to help others learn more about speech therapy.  

Other hospitals and universities in Vietnam have shown an interest in speech therapy as well (see below), but Hanoi seems to be the only place that has Vietnamese nationals holding job titles as speech therapists.

Please note
For the following Vietnam phone numbers, be sure to dial your country’s international access / country code.  

Email to some Viet Nam addresses has a tendency to "bounce" - keep trying! The accuracy of the following addresses HAS been confirmed. A "bounce rate" of 50-60% is not considered unusual.

Contacts
Ho Chi Minh City  

Ho Dinh Do, MD (Professor Do)

dd.ktyh@fmail.vnn.vnn & dhyd.khoay@bdvn.vnd.net

Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy in HCMC (Truong Dai Hoc Y Duoc TP Ho Chi Minh) 
(NOTE: There are several campuses for this university in HCMC)

President, Vietnamese Association of Clinical Biochemists; Professor and Chairman, Department of Biochemistry.

Professor Do is very interested in developing speech therapy. He arranged a week-long seminar at the University presented in 2001 by Charlotte Ducote PhD (see below)

Office Address:            
Professor Ho Dinh Do
Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology
201 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street*
 District 5
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
*This office is near Cho Ray Hospital (Benh Vien Cho Ray) and Odonto-Stomatology Institute [Vien Rang Ham Mat]
Office Phone: +84-8-854-6878 Office Fax: +84-8-855-7399

Contacts
Ho Chi Minh City continued  

Nguyen Thi Cam Phuong

(Miss Phuong or Miss Cam Phuong)
dd.ktyh@fmail.vnn.vn      
(SUBJECT: Message for Nguyen Thi Cam Phuong)

Office of International Relations, University of Medicine and Pharmacy in HCMC, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology (see address above for Professor Do.

Miss Phoung helps make arrangements for seminars, meeting with Professor Do, etc.
Office Address:  Same as for Professor Do above .
Office Phone: +84-8-855-3224
Office Fax:      +84-8-855-7399

Contacts
Ho Chi Minh City continued

Hoang Luong, MD (Dr./Bac Si Luong)

dd.ktyh@fmail.vnn.vn     
(SUBJECT: Message for Bac Si Hoang Luong, Tai-Mui Hong)

Vice Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy in HCMC

Ear-Nose-Throat Physician (Bac si Tai (Ear)- Mui (Nose)- Hong (Throat)

Interested in speech therapy, particularly for voice disorders and alaryngeal speech.

Office Address  Same as for Professor Do above
Office Phone +84-8-857-0757
Office Fax:      +84-8-855-7399
Mobile Phone:  090 921-614

Contacts
Ho Chi Minh City continued

Nguyen Thi Huong, BS, PT  (Miss Huong)

thihuongbmvltl@bdvn.vnd.net

Head of the Physical Therapy Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy in HCMC, The Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology

President, Physical Therapy Association in HCMC

Very interested in speech therapy; has coordinated a course on speech therapy presented in HCMC in 2001 by Charlotte Ducote (see below)

Office Address: (A different campus of the same university as Professor Do and others listed above)   

70 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan Street
District 3
HCMC, Viet Nam
Office Phone:  +84-8-932-5513
Office Fax:      +84-8-855-7399
Mobile Phone: +09 0969867

Contacts
Ho Chi Minh City continued

Le Khanh Dien (Mr. Dien)

khanhdien@hcm.vnn.vn 

Physical Therapist, Benh Vien An Binh (An Binh Hospital)

Has been interested for several years in aphasia and related neurogenic communication disorders. Has been involved in self-study re: aphasia. Was the translator for a course on aphasia and related disorders given in Ho Chi Minh City by Charlotte Ducote, PhD, CCC-SLP (see below).  Wants to participate in more learning and research opportunities, particularly with respect to aphasia.

Address:  
1/12 Nguyen Van Lac
P 21, Quan Binh Thanh
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam     

Contacts
Hanoi (Ha Noi)

Vu Thi Bich Hanh, MD, PhD   

(Tien Si or Bac Si/Dr. Hanh)

Lecturer,  Hanoi Medical College (Giang Vien DHY Ha Noi)

Physician, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Phuc Hoi Chuc Nang [PHCN]) at Bach Mai University Hospital (Benh Vien Bach Mai)

Speech Therapy Coordinator,  Speech Therapy Unit,  Benh Vien Bach Mai, Khoa Phuc Hoi Chuc Nang (PHCN/Rehab. Dept.)

Dr. Hanh’s training in speech therapy is via independent study, working with speech therapists (speech-language pathologists) from other countries, and attendance at classes or seminars given in Vietnam by visiting speech therapists. She has also observed speech therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah, and New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She wrote her dissertation for her Doctor of Philosophy degree (Tien Si) on speech issues related to cleft palate.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please note that it can be difficult at times to reach Dr. Hanh by e-mail.

VINAREHA@bdvn.vnmail.vnd.net SUBJECT LINE TYPE:  Message for Dr. Hanh; then in 1^st line of the e-mail type: “Can you please give this e-mail to Dr. Vu Bich Hanh?  Thank-you!”) Namanh54@hn.vnn.vn SUBJECT LINE TYPE:  Message for Dr. Hanh; then in 1^st line of the e-mail type: “Can you please give this e-mail to Dr. Vu Bich Hanh?  Thank-you!”) ngvdong@hotmail.com (E-mail for Dr. Dong [Nguyen Xuan Dong]; in SUBJECT LINE TYPE:  Message for Dr. Hanh; then in 1^st line of the e-mail type: “Can you please give this e-mail to Dr. Vu Bich Hanh?  Thank-you!”)

Office Address:             
Benh Vien Bach Mai 
Khoa PHCN (Rehabilitation Center)
78 Duong Giai Phong
Hanoi, Viet Nam

Office Phone +84-4-869-3731, extension (“xin” in Vietnamese) 6562 (Ask to speak to  Dr. Hanh or her associate/speech therapist, Miss Huong [Dung Thai Thu Huong])
Office Fax:            +84-4-869-1607

Contacts
Hanoi (Ha Noi) continued

Tran Thi Thu Ha, MD (Bac Si/Dr. Ha)

mdthuha@yahoo.com

Dr. Ha is associate director of Rehabilitation Medicine at the National Institute of Pediatrics (Vien Nhi Quoc Gia) in Hanoi .

She is very interested in speech therapy and has organized short courses in speech therapy at her hospital (there are several individuals there who have “speech therapist” job titles); special areas of interest for her are speech disorders related to cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome and communication disorders related to autism. There is an early intervention program at her hospital (with various rehab disciplines participating) and a day care program for children with special needs.

Office Address:  Vien Nhi Quoc Gia (Formerly Viet Nam-Sweden Children’s   Hospital/Vien Nhi Viet Nam-Thuy Dien)
Khoa PHCN (Rehabilitation Department)
Duong Giang Vo
Dong Da
Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Office Phone: +84-4-834-3603
Office Fax:  +84-4-775-4448  OR  fax to V V A F at 84-4-934-1606 (REQUEST fax to be given to Dr. Tran Thi Thu Ha, Khoa PHCN, Vien Nhi, National Institute of Pediatrics)

Contacts
Hanoi (Ha Noi) continued

Tran Trong Hai, MD, PhD  

(Tien Si or Bac Si Hai/Dr. Hai)

Director, Rehabilitation Department, National Institute of Pediatrics 
(Vien Nhi Quoc Gia; see above)

Deputy Director, Department for International Cooperation, 
Ministry of Health, Viet Nam

Secretary General of the Vietnam Rehabilitation Association (VINAREHA)

Member of New York Academy of Science

CONTACT INFORMATION:
E-Mail:  Try to contact via Dr. Ha (see above)
Office Address:      See above for Dr. Ha
Office Telephone:  +84-4-846-0593
Office Fax:            +84-4-8462195

Other contacts

Charlotte A. Ducote, PhD, CCC-SLP

caducote@aol.com & cducote@ochsner.org

Chairperson, Speech Pathology Council, Operation Smile

Director, Division of Communicative Disorders, 
Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana (LA)

Co-Founder, Speech Therapy-Vietnam Project (associated with Operation Smile); has worked in southern, central, and northern regions of Vietnam (i.e., HCMC, Can Tho, DaNang, Dong Hoi, HaNoi, Thai Nguyen/Bac Thai).  See article, “A Speech-Language Pathologist in Vietnam” in the ASHA Leader, December 11, 2001, A Speech-Language Pathologist in Vietnam

Mailing Address:  
1806 Audubon Trace  
New Orleans, LA 70121 USA
Office Phone:  504-842-4618 or 504-842-3900
Office Fax:      504-842-3201
Home Phone:  504-837-6421  

Larry Hammer, MCD, CCC-SLP

ldhocean@sbcglobal.net 

Founder and Director, Viet Nam Laryngectomee Humanitarian Project (donations of electrolarynx devices, tracheoesophageal prostheses, other equipment, and funds can be made to this project via Deseret International non-profit organization).

See the web site for more information.

Links

•  http://chhs.sdsu.edu/slhs/publications/barlow478.pdf
  Tang, G., and Barlow, J. (2006) Characteristics of the sound systems of monolingual Vietnamese-speaking children with phonological impairment. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics. 20(6)423-445.

•  Clinical Decision Making with Linguistically Diverse Learners
•  Giving poor children a reason to smile
•  Hmong Language Institute of Australia
•  Lending a hand and learning in Vietnam - a two-way street
•  Politics and complexity in intercultural fieldwork
•  Speech-Language Pathology Around the World
•  Speech-Language Pathology in Asia
•  Vietnamese Language and Culture
•  VN Speech Therapy
•  White Hmong

Page updated 12 May 2009

http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/vietnam.htm