" We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to learn to be useful and contribute to the society as HIV Medics. This is also a personal achievement for us all and a new beginning to lead a productive life extending a helping hand to Doctors and nurses and make the lives of fellow PLHAs better and bring smiles in our lives". [The HIV Medics – 1st Batch Class Monitor/Representative}
Guang Ninh: June 26 2009
The Graudation Ceremony of " HIV MEDICS" - AHF Vietnam Cares, VAAC and the Quang Ninh Medical College and Health Department collaborative HIV Medics training program in Vietnam was held at the Quang Ninh Medical College on the 26th June 2009.
The first batch of 31 students enrolled for the training course have all graduated and seven of the Medics graduated with Honors/distinction. The graduation ceremony was graced by representatives from the the Ministry of Health, Vietnam Administration of AIDS Control, The Provincial Health Department of Quang Ninh, The National Institute of Infectioius and Tropical Disease, Vice Dean, Quang Ninh Medical College, Department of Science and training, Provincial AIDS Control Centre of QUang Ninh, The People Committee, Department of Invalid and Social Affairs, Department of Social Evil Control and Prevention, The teachers and students of the Quang Ninh Medical College and from the general community.
"The VAAC is grateful to AHF Vietnam Cares and the Quang Ninh Medical College for the support to this new program that will add HIV service workers to provide better treatment and care services for PLHAs.
The HIV Medics will play crucial role in our fight with HIVAIDS in Vietnam. We wish to continue and expand the HIV Medics program and build a strong force of HIV Medics to assist healthcare professionals involve in HIVAIDS treatment and care programs" said Professor Bui Duc Duong
"Bringing the HIV Medics program to Vietnam will help usher more HIV positive people and those already living with AIDS into care and treatment and help build more cadre in the fight against the epidemic in Vietnam. AHF thank Ministry of Health, VAAC for this innovative task shifting program and creative a force of para- professional to help in better provision of treatment and care for people with HIVAIDS. We thank all who were involved in securing this exciting new training partnership" Michael Weinstein, President- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
"I cannot begin to express how happy I am that all of you have graduated the HIV Medic program. I know you have worked hard to understand all the topics and clinicals needed to provide excellent care and treatment to others with HIV/AIDS."- Mary Adair, Director of Task Shifting Projects, AHF Global
" We are honored to collaborate with MOH/VAAC on the HIV Medics and thank their support. The innovative HIVAIDS education program conceived, developed and initiated by AHF to train lay people as HIV Medics – a paraprofessional healthcare worker trained to assist clinicians and nurses in the provision of Anti-retroviral therapy for people living with HIVAIDS. The Vietnam Program is unique as the first batch of HIV medics are all PLHAs and the Vietnam government has committed to provide 100% placement for each of the graduate which is will help to unburdened task of HIV service providing doctors and nurses" Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia Pacific Bureau Chief, AHF Global
" It was a big challenge for us at the Quang Ninh Medical College to train this lay people on the HIV Medic curricula provided by VAAC/AHF Vietnam Cares. We are surprise at the hard work and determination of the students and that they have all passed the examination and graduated is highly commendable. We wish them all success in their work" said Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, Vice Dean of Quang Ninh Medical College.
The HIV Medics Program developed in 2004 by AHF is an innovative solution to the shortage of healthcare workers in resource-constrained settings. The program comprise of an intensive training program where laypeople are trained to become praprofessional "extenders" of treatment who provide basic triage and intensive adherence support, and assist in the provision of ART.
The program was piloted in Uganda and has been WHO-cited "best practice" task-shifting program. HIV Medics take on some of the clinical, counseling and administrative responsibilities from nurses and doctors so that the clinical team is able to care for and treat larger numbers of patients in less time.
The HIV Medics was developed focused on supporting local capacity and creating partnerships that allow country nationals to play a lead role in day-to-day operations, AHF's programs are designed to be sustainable, scalable, and replicable.