SOUTH VIETNAM: AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL TEAM

Record ID: 636652

  • Title: SOUTH VIETNAM: AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL TEAM
  • Date: 16th December 1964
  • Summary: 1. MLS STREET SCENE (PAN) FOUR AUSTRALIAN NURSES WALKING TOWARDS HOSPITAL 5 1/2 ft 2. MS NURSES WALKING TO HOSPITAL 12 ft 3. MS TRISHAS IN FOREGROUND (PAN) NURSES ENTERING HOSPITAL 17 ft 4. MLS OUTPATIENTS WAITING TO BE ATTENDED 19 ft 5. MLS OUTPATIENTS (PAN) DOCTOR IAN RUSSELL OF CHADSTONE, WITH VIETNAMESE NURSE MISS LIEN, EXAMINE PATIENT 24 1/2 ft 6. CU DR. RUSSELL (PAN) PATIENT AND MISS LIEN 28 ft 7. CU MORE OUTPATIENTS WAITING, RELATIVES AND ONLOOKERS AMONG THEM 29 ft 8. CU DR. RUSSELL EXAMINES BOY 33 ft 9. CU MISS LIEN TALKS TO DR. RUSSELL 36 ft 10. MS MORE OUTPATIENTS AT ANOTHER SECTION OF HOSPITAL 41 1/2 ft 11. MS INTERIOR WARD (PAN) DR. DON MACLEISH OF SOUTH YARRA, EXAMINING PATIENT ON BED 44 1/2 ft 12. CU DR. MACLEISH 46 ft 13. MS DR. MACLEISH AND MISS LIEN 49 1/2 ft 14. CU SICK BABY ON BED 53 ft 15. CU DR. MACLEISH EXAMINES SAME BABY 55 ft 16. MS INTERIOR WARD (PAN) SISTER SUE TERRY OF MALVERN, INTO WARD AND CHECKS PROGRESS OF 3-YEAR-OLD CHILD, VICTIM OF VIETCONG OUTRAGE: 61 ft 17. CU SISTER TERRY 62 1/2 ft 18. MS SHE EXAMINES CHILD 65 1/2 ft 19. MCU SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS (TILT UP) SISTER NOELLE COURTNEY OF MURRUMBEENA, IN OPERATION THEATRE 69 1/2 ft 20. MCU ANAESTHETIST MISS CHAU PREPARING FOR OPERATION 75 ft 21. MS HUGE ELECTRICAL LAMP (TILT DOWN) OPERATION TABLE 78 1/2 ft 22. MS DR. RUSSELL OPERATING 79 1/2 ft 23. MS (LEFT TO RIGHT) MISS CHAU AND MR. THANH (INTERPRETER) LOOK ON 81 ft 24. MS SISTER JENNY JONES OF SOUTH YARRA TIES GOWN OF DR. RUSSELL 85 1/2 ft 25. MS MISS CHAU 86 1/2 ft 26. MS DR. RUSSELL OPERATING 88 1/2 ft 27. MS SISTER ANNE BOUCHER OF SOUTH YARRA HANDS SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS TO DR. RUSSELL 94 1/2 ft 28. MS OPERATION IN PROGRESS 100 1/2 ft 29. MLS VISITING HOURS FOR PATIENTS (TILT DOWN) RELATIVES EATING ON CORRIDOR 104 ft 30. MS BLOOD DONOR, MISS NHUONG, ON BED (TILT UP) DR. TIM MATTHEW OF MELBOURNE 107 ft 31. MLS MISS NHUONG ON BED 109 ft 32. CU DR. MATTHEW PINS BADGE ON MISS NHUONG (TWO SHOTS) 114 ft 33. CU MISS NHUONG (TILT UP) BADGE ON CHEST 117 ft 34. LS HOSPITAL COMPOUND (PAN) THREE DOCTORS AND ONE NURSE PLAYING TENNIS 122 1/2 ft 35. MLS TENNIS MATCH BEFORE DARK (FOUR SHOTS) 129 1/2 ft 36. MLS TENNIS COURT (PAN) HOMEGUARDS 134 37. MS HOMEGUARDS (TWO SHOTS) 140 1/2 ft 38. LS (PAN) HOSPITAL 146 ft Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 31st December 1964 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONG XUYEN, SOUTH VIETNAM
  • Country: Vietnam
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVAQWUB810NJQDD5TVSCN8LY52L
  • Story Text: AN AUSTRALIAN SURGICAL TEAM -- FOUR DOCTORS AND FOUR NURSES -- IS MAKING A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE MEDICAL EFFORT IN WAR-TORN SOUTH VIETNAM. THE TEAM IS NOW IN LONG XUYEN, ABOUT 100 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SAIGON. THEY ARE PART OF THE INCREASED AUSTRALIAN AID PROGRAMME TO VIETNAM.

    THE TEAM COME FROM THE ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL. EACH MEMBER WILL STAY FOR A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS. THEY WILL BE RELIEVED AT INTERVALS BY OTHER PERSONNEL FROM THE SAME HOSPITAL. THIS, HOWEVER, ENSURES CONTINUITY IN THE WORKING SYSTEM OF THE TEAM, AS ALL HAVE BEEN TRAINED TOGETHER UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN AUSTRALIA.

    THE AREA WHERE THE TEAM IS WORKING IS A VIETCONG-FREE REGION AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE BEST PROVINCES. THE POPULATION IS A MILITANT ANTI-COMMUNIST GROUP. THIS IS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THE WAR AGAINST THE VIETCONG IN THIS AREA. BEFORE THE TEAM ARRIVED IN LONG XUYEN, 350 ANTI-VIETCONG OPERATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT. THE TEAM MEMBERS ARE HOUSED IN A DOUBLE-STOREY BUILDING IN TOWN. THEY WALK TO THE HOSPITAL EACH MORNING.

    THE FIRST JOB IN THE MORNING FOR THE DOCTORS AND NURSES IS TO ATTEND TO THE OUTPATIENTS WITH THE HELP OF AN INTERPRETER. MANY RELATIVES AND CURIOUS ONLOOKERS GATHER WHILST THE DOCTOR CARRIES OUT HIS EXAMINATIONS.

    A VIETNAMESE ANAESTHETIST, MISS CHAU, ASSISTS THE AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS AND NURSES DURING AN OPERATION. AN INTERPRETER STANDS NEARBY TO TRANSLATE SPEEDILY FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.

    PATIENTS' RELATIVES OFTEN BRING ALONG THEIR OWN BLOOD DONORS. EACH DONOR IS GIVEN A RED CROSS BADGE. AT VISITING HOURS, PATIENTS VISIT EACH OTHER WHILE RELATIVES CAMP NEAR THE HOSPITAL OR CORRIDORS AND EAT NEAR THE WARDS. MOST OF THE PATIENTS IN THIS HOSPITAL ARE VICTIMS OF VIETCONG OUTRAGES IN NEARBY AREAS.

    WHENEVER POSSIBLE, THE TEAM PLAYS A FEW MINUTES OF TENNIS. NEARBY, THE LOCAL POPULAR FORCES (HOMEGUARDS) PREPARE FOR THE NIGHTLY PATROL AND DEFENCE OF THE TOWN, EVEN THOUGH CONSIDERED A VIETCONG-SAFE AREA.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register