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VINH, Vietnam
– A joint, multi-national team of engineers completed the foundation and addressed flooding issues at a Vietnamese medical clinic as part of Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12), 14 July.
The team of
Vietnamese, Australian and U. S. military and civilian engineers are
adding a roof, roof beams, trusses and external walls on top of the
foundation, as well as expanding the current structure that has been
damaged from years of flooding.
“This building has
had problems with flooding in the past,” said Mayor Dang Dhai Yen.
“It’s exciting to think the new building will be a stronger
structure that will be able to withstand the flooding and typhoons
in the area.”
Senior Chief Builder Todd Bernashe said the river in
the background plays a large factor in the damages.
“There is a river in the back that supplies some of
their water,” said Senior Chief Builder Todd Bernashe. “When the
river floods, water pours over the wall and fills the whole site.”
To prevent future damage and ensure a longer-lasting
facility, the team is encompassing a new site and new structure that
is higher than the existing one.
Bernashe said more than 130 cubic meters of fill was
brought in to raise the site and fill in a large swamp area by the
river, a common occurrence in Vietnam, which in turn will also hold
back the water when it rises.
According to Dang, the facility will have a major
impact on the community.
“This building is expected to help volunteers treat
nearly twice as many patients as it could before,” said Dang. “The
clinic sees almost 2,000 people a month, so it is very important for
the safety and health of our community.”
Bernashe said on top of the improvements in reducing
the chances of flooding and other damages from natural disasters,
the team is also providing fresh water capabilities.
“The community does not have access to running water,
so another thing we are doing is building a water collection system
on the roof of the structure,” he said. “The water that runs from
the roof will be collected and dumped into a new water tank above
the bathroom that will serve as an extra water supply for the
clinic.”
Four rooms will also be added to the facility to help
manage the large number of patients seen by the clinic.
When completed, the building is expected to outlast
the current 67-year-old structure.
This project is part of an engineering civil action
project that is designed to build lasting medical facilities for the
Vietnamese community as part of PP12.
Now in its seventh year, Pacific Partnership is a
U.S. Pacific Fleet humanitarian and civic assistance mission U.S.
military, host and partner nations, non-governmental organizations
and international agencies designed to build stronger relationships
and disaster response capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. |
