Civilian Medical & Surgical TeamsPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the South East Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO) civilian medical and surgical teams that operated in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
As the Vietnam War escalated it became clear that the medical infrastructure of Vietnam and the Australian teams assigned there could not cope, so a request was made under the banner of the South-East Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO). In 1964, the first civilian medical team from the Royal Melbourne Hospital arrived in Long Xuyen. Most teams, made up of doctors, radiographers, anaesthetists and nurses, did three or four-month tours, but this was later extended to six months for nurses. Some doctors, unable to be away from their practices for extended periods, did shorter tours.
Over the years most major Australian teaching hospitals sent teams to Vietnam and from 1968 they worked exclusively at the Bien Hoa provincial hospital, not far from Saigon and in a very active military area centred on a large US air base.
Location
| Address: | 300 Waterdale Road, Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg, 3081 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.755725 Long: 145.047069 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Vietnam |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1964 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1972 |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Wednesday 1st August, 2007 |
|---|
To commemorate the service of the South East Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO) Civilian Medical / Surgical Teams in South Vietnam
1964 - 1972
As an Australian Government initiative, civilian nurses, doctors and allied health professionals volunteered to give of their time, skills and expertise to care for sick and injured Vietnamese people.
445 gave service under challenging working conditions and often their lives were at risk.
These visiting civilian medical/surgical teams were also called upon to provide care to some ADF and US veterans.
Long Xuyen Vung Tau Bien Hoa Ba Ria
Lest We Forget
Aug 1st 2007
