Kurt A. Mariano, DC, of Honolulu, Hawaii, traveled to Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore April 8-22 with the People to People American Ambassador Program's pain delegation. Dr. Mariano was the only DC in the interdisciplinary, international delegation of health care practitioners. The group sought to exchange ideas and information with their colleagues in Southeast Asia.
The pain delegation was led by Dr. William N. Harsha, an orthopedic surgeon and attorney. The list of accompanying delegation members included MDs from across the U.S. and from Canada, Thailand and, Norway. Of special note was the presence of Joseph K. Wang, MD, Nobel Prize nominee, who was instrumental in establishing and directing the first pain clinic at the Mayo Clinic and the Yale Center of Pain Management. The group was rounded out by a physical therapist, two dentists, an RN, and a health care administrator.
Dr. Mariano had the unique opportunity to lecture about chiropractic treatment during his visit to Vietnam, where there is currently no licensure for chiropractic practitioners. He spoke at the Vietnamese medical school, and met its director, Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Chi. Dr. Mariano also spoke at the Traditional Medicine Institute of Ho Chi Minh City, and said that he met several physicians there who expressed interest in chiropractic.
In Thailand, he gave a presentation on chiropractic at the Neuro and Behavioral Biology Center Institute of Science and Technology of Mahidol University, Salaya campus, in the city of Nakornpathom. The delegation then visited the Orchard Hospital in Bangkok, directed by Dr. Ladavan Souvannakitti, a Thai doctor who has been asked to meet with President Clinton and Hillary Clinton at an upcoming health care conference in Canada.
Dr. Mariano described his Southeast Asia travels with the pain delegation as "an extraordinary opportunity and one of the most exciting and educational experiences" he has ever had. He encourages his fellow DCs and other practitioners to participate in the People to People American Ambassador Program.
Chiropractors who are interested in keeping dialogue open in Southeast Asia and would like to help facilitate chiropractic licensure there should contact:
Dr. Nguyen Chi
Roussel, Vietnam 6
Nyugenhue-QI
Ho Chi Minh Ville
Vietnam
To keep open the lines of chiropractic communication in Thailand, contact:
Dr. Ladavan Souvannakitti
177/1 Bin Suan Hospital
Charvnsanitvong 11 Road
Bangkok 10600
Thailand
For more information on how to get involved, contact Dr. Mariano:
1221 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1008
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
