Recently approximately 35 health professionals, including Neonatologists, NICU nurses, physiotherapists and non-TFA trained speech therapists from a range of Da Nang General and Children’s hospitals attended a half-day lecture at the Department of Rehabilitation at the Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy.
Ms Sarah Day, volunteer Speech Pathology Advisor with the Australian Volunteer Program (DFAT), is currently on assignment at the university and works in collaboration with Trinh Foundation Australia, as the Australian Partner Organisation. Sarah worked with the team of speech therapists from the Da Nang University speech therapy team to develop the presentation and give the lecture to the health professionals from across Da Nang. The university speech therapy team aim to bring awareness to paediatric health specialists working across the health system in Da Nang, to prepare them for the commencement of the first Bachelor of Rehabilitation (Speech Pathology) in Vietnam that will open at the university in September 2019, with students beginning their degree in September this year when they cover more general Rehabilitation subjects for two semesters. The university speech therapy team are working with TFA to develop partnerships with local hospitals and other health care providers to support opportunities for external clinical placement development across the city.
Feedback from the lecture was very positive, with great interest from a group of neonatal medical doctors who have enrolled for the 3-day paediatric feeding course to be held at the university later this month.
The speech therapy team at the university are keen to begin to offer paediatric feeding services to the community through their clinic and aim to continue to develop their knowledge and skills in this area, with ongoing support from TFA.