Monash Children’s Hospital International

Monash Children’s Hospital International (MCHI) is comprised of a team of Monash Health Surgeons, Child and Adolescent Clinicians and Allied Health practitioners who are committed to providing training to other healthcare professionals in developing countries. Through education and development, MCHI works to improve health outcomes for children within these regions by strengthening the capacity of national health personnel to provide improved paediatric services.

Over 40% of the population of Vietnam and Cambodia is under 18 years of age. Due to a lack of national specialist expertise, health providers in these countries have limited capacity to provide paediatric health services. The need for surgical education is paramount.

MCHI works closely with surgeons, radiology specialists and endocrinology specialists across South East Asia. Team members are self-funded and donate their time and expertise. Various Australian health services and medical equipment companies have also generously donated surgical equipment to enable the department to practice.

Monash Children’s Hospital International supports the development of knowledge and skills of local health professionals in the management of congenital disorders of children through a multidisciplinary in-country education programme. This includes the delivery of training courses and on-the-job mentoring in surgery, the provision of scholarships for short-term training in specialist centres in Australia and New Zealand, and the development of sustainable professional networks in child health throughout Southeast Asia.

Our current scope of activity includes:

Patient treatment
Patient treatment is both a conduit of clinical education and a focus of some in-country and Australian activity. Surgical skills training is undertaken utilising both simulation modalities and mentored operating. In-country surgical skills training is cost-effective, context-relevant and avoids Australasian medical registration issues, as well as providing patient care in local environment.

Educational courses / in-country visits
In-country education and on-the-job teaching in the treatment of patients is crucial to ensure that the content and learning objectives are relevant to the local context.

Currently four to five visits are conducted each year, during which course delivery is achieved through partnership of visiting and local faculty to ensure the level, language and timetable is appropriate.

Courses are widely advertised throughout both the host country and loco-regional centres, resulting in participation from a wide variety of health service levels and countries.

Scholarships programme
The visiting scholars programme, overseen by the Global Health Committee of RACS, supports short-term (six to eight weeks) visits to Australasian centres of excellence for a specified purpose. Each visit has a specified purpose and the host Service is chosen to best match this focus. They are multidisciplinary, including radiology, nursing and endocrinology.

Monash Children’s Hospital International provides training, support and technical expertise to many Asian countries:

• Advanced training in paediatric surgery from across the Asian region, Philippines, Fiji, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Cambodia
• Focused surgical tuition visits to major Asian hospitals (Hanoi, Siem Reap, HohChi Minh and Nah Tran)
• Coordination and delivery of National Asian Paediatric Surgical Meetings
• Visiting Fellowship for Asian surgeons with limited English are offered
• Visiting fellowships of approximately three months in our department
• Conduct annual visits to countries including Vietnam, Cambodia and Fiji

DSD clinic
Neonatal clinic
Paediatric Surgery/Urology Clinic

How to refer an overseas child to us

As a referral service for complex and rare conditions Monash Children’s Hospital International is frequently approached to provide service for Medicare ineligible overseas patients. Please note:

• Acceptance of any Medicare ineligible and overseas patient to the hospital will be subject to the discretion of the Director of Clinical Operations /Chief Operating Officer who will take into account the changing hospital environment and that such admission does not disadvantage any Australian Medicare eligible patient requiring medical services.
• Any agreement will be reached in advance to ensure Monash Children’s Hospital is compensated for these service and to ensure resources are not diminished for Australian Medicare eligible patients.
• Any appeal to this decision must be addressed to the Chief Executive.

Monash Children’s Hospital International Office will:

• Respond to inquiries and facilitate review of medical reports.
• Acquire and finalise information to adequately screen patients for acceptance.
• Coordinate arrangements between patients, Monash Children’s Hospital and international agencies.
• Coordinate and facilitate the intake of international patients.
• Coordinate admissions, hospital stay and discharge process.
• Provide assistance with financial arrangements including advance estimate for fees and payments
• Assist with improving the quality of hospital services by providing the link between Monash Children’s Hospital and International Agencies.

For more information contact:
Peta Young
Monash Children’s Hospital International Project and Office Manager
Phone: (03) 9594 4723
Email: peta.young@monshhealth.org
Email: jasna.djukic@monashhealth.org

Your donation will help us to assist children in need. You can make a one-off or regular donation to Monash Children’s Hospital International through the Monash Health Foundation.

All donations to Monash Health that are $2 and over are tax deductible.

If you have any questions about donating or fundraising please contact the Monash Health Foundation:
Phone: (03) 9594 2700
Email: foundation@monashhealth.org