• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Combined Medical Team Makes History Aboard Mercy

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080628-18
Release Date: 6/28/2008 10:38:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Joseph Seavey, Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

NHA TRANG, Vietnam (NNS) -- For the first time in 32 years, the Vietnamese government allowed its citizens to board a U.S. military vessel, June 20.

"This is the first time a foreign military vessel has visited Nha Trang since 1975, the first time a U.S. military humanitarian assistance mission has been permitted to perform major surgeries, and the first
time surgeries have been performed aboard a U.S. vessel [in Vietnam] in over 30 years," said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. R. E. Lucius, U.S. defense attache in Hanoi.

U.S. Navy Capt. Eric Kuncir, a surgeon aboard USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), and Dr. Do Hoai Ky, a Vietnamese surgeon, worked together to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a non-evasive gallbladder removal. The successful surgery took two hours and was the first of many to be performed aboard Mercy.

"We have a great [operating room] team assembled here from multiple [military treatment facilities]," said Kuncir, "and we all came together just like we had known and worked together for years."

According to Kuncir, the surgery reflects the trust and bond between the U.S. and Vietnam.

"Allowing someone to operate on a friend, relative or a citizen of another nation for that matter, implies a great deal of trust," said Kuncir. "At the deckplate level, this surgery was a team effort in the purest sense."

The Mercy surgical team is just one part of Pacific Partnership. As part of the overarching mission, shore-based medical, dental and engineering civic action programs and community relations projects are being conducted by the United States, partner nations and non-governmental organizations.

"The basic objective of Pacific Partnership is to provide assistance to people in a number of countries, but it's also a good opportunity to build friendships and professional relationships between doctors, dentists and other specialists of the countries involved in the partnership and Vietnam," said Jon
Aloisi, deputy chief of mission from the United States Embassy in Hanoi.

Kuncir volunteered for the Pacific Partnership mission for the chance to perform surgical procedures with the host nation surgeons.

"I operated extensively with a Japan Maritime Self Defense Force surgeon as well as an Armed Forces of the Philippines surgeon in Cotabato [Philippines]," said Kuncir.

"I was honored to have the opportunity to do the first surgery in Vietnam waters because it was an opportunity to collaborate with our Vietnamese surgical colleagues."

Mercy's stay in Vietnam shows the bilateral relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, demonstrating both countries' continued commitment to work together to address mutual issues and concerns. Vietnam is the second stop on Mercy's five-month Pacific Partnership humanitarian civic assistance mission to build friendships and professional relationships through Southeast Asia. Mercy is also scheduled to visit Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia.

For more news from Pacific Partnership 2008, visit www.navy.mil/local/PP08/.