Last week, our Smile Club, part of our commitment to community service, had two trips to the Operation Smile medical mission at the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology. We were invited to their bi-annual visit to Hanoi, through our ongoing support of this terrific charity, and it gave our students a hands on experience of seeing the charity at work.
The hospital was packed with over 100 patients on the first day. Students helped with weighing and registering patients, delivering medical files and guiding patients to the examining room. They were dividing milk packages and personal care items into individual bags and calling families who had appointments, over the phone.
On the second day, students paid visits to patients and their family in the hospital rooms, giving out Smile bags that the students prepared themselves. They also played with many of the children and had conversations with their families to learn more about the causes, conditions and challenges of cleft lips/palates.
Having spoken with the students about these trips, all of them said how much they enjoyed being a part of it, and how much they would like to go again next term.
