Hue, Vietnam 2026 (Mission # 28)
March 22–29, 2026
Arpan Global Charities returned to Hue, Vietnam to complete its 28th International Medical Mission from March 22–29, 2026. This was Arpan’s fourth mission to Hue and continued the organization’s longstanding collaboration with the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HUMP) and Hue Central Hospital. Our team of 12 members, primarily specialists from St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, included physicians and surgeons in orthopedic surgery, oculoplastic surgery, pediatrics and neonatology, anesthesiology, internal medicine, radiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and pharmacy, as well as non-medical volunteers. During the week, the team delivered lectures, performed and mentored surgical procedures, and staffed community health clinics for underserved populations in and around Hue.
The AGC team also visited Cơ Sở Bảo Trợ Xã Hội Nước Ngọt (Nuoc Ngot Social Welfare Center), a facility in a rural area of Hue that provides education for local children and serves as a home for many of the disabled and orphaned children in the region. The center is run by the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, who are affiliated with St. Joseph Hospital of Orange County. The team distributed stuffed animals, monetary support, and other donated items to the children.
2 Surgeons
- Dr. Paul Beck, MD – Orthopedic Surgery
- Dr. Peter Truong, MD – Oculoplastic Surgery
5 Physicians
- Dr. Sudeep Kukreja, MD – Pediatrics and Neonatal
- Dr. Kishan Patel, MD – Anesthesia
- Dr. Huong Thi Duong, MD – Internal Medicine
- Dr. Dan Vu, MD – Radiology
- Dr. Thanhtuyen Do, MD – Physical Medicine & Rehab
2 Pharmacists
- Tony Phan, RPh – Compounding Pharmacist
- Thuong Nguyen, PharmD – Compounding and Hospital Pharmacist
3 Volunteers
- William Phan – EMT
- Isabella Vu – Student
- Sophia Patel – Student
Internal Medicine and Community Health Clinics
Dr. Huong Thi Duong, alongside AGC staff and students and faculty from HUMP, led community health clinics over three days. The clinics served relatives of patients at Hue University Hospital, local residents, school children, and residents of the Hue Social Welfare Center. Services included health and dental screenings, patient education, clinical consultation, and bedside ultrasound for adult and pediatric patients. Approximately 350 patients were seen across the three days.
The clinics drew on several AGC specialties. Tony Phan and Carol Nguyen contributed medications and vitamins donated by AGC and ensured that all dispensed medications were appropriately labeled with clear dosage and administration instructions, continuing system improvements introduced during previous missions. Dr. Thanhtuyen Do assisted Dr. Duong in the clinics over two days, evaluating patients and bringing a rehabilitation perspective to complement the primary care services.
Pharmacy
Tony Phan and Carol Nguyen collaborated with the Faculty of Pharmacy at HUMP over a three-day exchange from March 22–24, 2026. The centerpiece was a seminar attended by over 100 pharmacy students. Tony Phan presented on pharmaceutical compounding practices in the United States and conducted a hands-on ointment compounding demonstration, giving students practical exposure to the techniques, standards, and pharmacist’s role in this field. Carol Nguyen followed with a presentation on clinical pharmacy in U.S. hospital settings, describing the daily responsibilities and workflows of a hospital clinical pharmacist. The seminar drew extensive questions and discussion from the students.
The following day, both pharmacists met with HUMP pharmacy faculty to discuss future directions for research collaboration. AGC also donated an Exakt ointment mill and a Mettler Toledo Pharmacy Balance to the Faculty of Pharmacy, to be used in training future pharmacists in compounding.
Pediatrics and Neonatal
Dr. Sudeep Kukreja delivered talks on enteral and parenteral nutrition in the NICU, along with other topics requested by HUMP. Dr. Kukreja also participated in the outreach clinics and saw approximately 350 pediatric patients organized by HUMP across the three clinic days.
Orthopedic Surgery
Dr. Paul Beck was involved in 11 surgical procedures during the mission week at HUMP, combining operative work with teaching and mentorship of younger attending surgeons.
Oculoplastic Surgery
Dr. Peter Truong continued his collaboration with the HUMP ophthalmology department, performing 8 surgical procedures. Cases included a secondary orbital implant, a wound closure requiring multiple flaps, an upper lid tumor resection with reconstruction, and five upper and lower lid blepharoplasties. Dr. Truong also delivered two presentations to HUMP ophthalmology residents and attending physicians: one on eyelid reconstruction techniques and another on the practical handling of unsatisfactory results from blepharoplasty.
Anesthesia
Dr. Kishan Patel provided anesthesia consultation across a wide range of surgical cases, including a complex arterial switch operation and numerous orthopedic surgeries. He also worked to advance perioperative techniques and regional anesthesia practices at HUMP, including nerve blocks. Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Patel organized and delivered a full-day ACLS seminar attended by over 100 anesthesiologists, many of whom traveled up to 100 km to participate. The program included hands-on stations and structured lectures focused on emergency cardiovascular care skills. Dr. Patel also taught medical students about brain aneurysms, covering diagnosis, management, and early recognition, with the goal of equipping future clinicians to identify and manage these conditions early to help prevent serious complications.
Radiology
Dr. Dan Vu delivered 7 CME lectures on thoracic and cardiac imaging over two days to an audience of radiologists, technologists, and medical students at HUMP. He also assisted HUMP clinicians by interpreting MRIs and CTs for numerous patients during the mission week.
Physical Therapy & Rehab
Dr. Thanhtuyen Do delivered a presentation to the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at HUMP, attended by approximately 35 residents, students, and attending physicians. The lecture compared educational pathways for the specialty between the United States and Vietnam, and explored differences and similarities in hospital settings, quality assurance policies and procedures, and risk management practices. The discussion also addressed challenges facing Hue University in providing durable medical equipment (DME) to patients upon discharge. A productive Q&A session followed, during which participants shared insights and explored possible solutions, including the importance of integrating social work at the time of patient admission to engage families in understanding the disease process and post-discharge expectations.
Dr. Do also assisted Dr. Huong Thi Duong in the community health clinics, where they evaluated a variety of patients over two days.
EMT
William Phan, a certified EMT, managed on-the-ground logistics and technical support for the AGC team. He arranged daily transportation for the team, coordinated meal logistics, and helped organize packing and inventory of donated items. He set up and managed internal communications for the AGC team using a mix of tools, and provided IT support for team members’ devices throughout the trip, including diagnosing and resolving cellular and eSIM issues that arose while traveling abroad and setting up new eSIMs for several members. On the educational side, William assisted physicians and pharmacists in creating and formatting their presentation slides and ensured that all educational materials were sent to HUMP staff and students in the appropriate format. He also coordinated the collection of mission photography by collaborating with HUMP medical students and building a custom self-hosted platform for easier aggregation and sharing of photos across both the AGC team and HUMP participants. In the community health clinics, William took patient vitals alongside the clinical team. He also observed several surgical procedures at HUMP.
Non-Medical Volunteers
Sophia Patel, a non-medical volunteer, delivered a presentation on brain aneurysm awareness to approximately 75 HUMP students. The first half of her talk covered the prevalence of brain aneurysms in Vietnam and early warning signs to watch for in patients, while the second half featured a clinical case study followed by a Q&A session. Her presentation drew from the educational work of her older sister Gia, a brain aneurysm survivor who created the documentary “Beyond a Headache” to raise awareness about the condition. Sophia also assisted in the community health clinics and observed surgical procedures at HUMP.
Isabella Vu, a non-medical volunteer, assisted in the community health clinics and observed surgical procedures at HUMP.
This Mission, like the previous ones to Hue, was a labor of love for Dr. Huong Thi Duong and her husband, Dr. Paul Beck. Their dedication to establishing and maintaining AGC’s relationship with HUMP has been central to the organization’s continued presence in Hue.