VIETCOT

Vietnam, with its 80 million inhabitants, faces an immense problem in rehabilitating its disabled population. Intensifying the need are the wars Vietnam has endured in recent decades. Referring to data and calculation procedures of the World Health Organization (WHO), one may estimate 0.5% of the population, or 400,000 individuals, are in need of technical health care. Official statements of the Hanoi government offices present a figure of 0.8%-1% of the population - 800,000 physically handicapped individuals. In order to cope with this task, the Vietnamese rehab system comprises 23 rehabilitation centers and O & P facilities all over the country, operated by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Labour and Social Affairs. Their main goal is to take care of disabled veterans, whose prosthetic and orthotic needs are covered by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Looking at the tremendous need for qualified O &..