Paris (VNA) – What began in 1992 as a small circle of Vietnamese and French doctors in the central French city of Olivet has evolved into ADM Vietnam, one of the longest-running and most active French-Vietnamese humanitarian organisations, launching hundreds of healthcare, social and cultural projects.
Its President Yann Duchatel said the association was established with three core missions: medical assistance, social support, and promotion of medical French - sending volunteer doctors to Vietnam, donating equipment, and helping medical students master French to secure clinical internships in France.
Beyond hospital work, its mobile teams have long travelled to remote and mountainous areas, delivering free screenings, medicines, eyeglasses, and funding complex pediatric surgeries for children with heart and congenital defects, eye diseases, and serious illnesses that families cannot afford.
In recent years, ADM Vietnam has rolled out a series of practical projects, including donating 10 wheelchairs to the Quang Ngai Hospital for Women and Children, supplying 18,000 VN95 masks to hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong at the height of COVID-19 outbreak, and offering medical and rehabilitation equipment to poor patients when surgery is not an option.
A hallmark of ADM Vietnam’s impact is its sustained effort to keep medical French alive in Vietnam - a “soft bridge” that has yielded lasting results.
Since 1992, it has run specialised French courses, financed 45 annual scholarships at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, selected two top Francophone students each summer for six-week internships in France, and supported placements at major hospitals in Paris, Orléans, and Amiens, one of the association’s oldest and most continuous activities that open access to advanced training and deepens bilateral medical ties.
ADM Vietnam also channels French specialists to Vietnam for joint professional work, charity missions in rural areas, and support to grassroots health facilities.
Sylvie Gouchet, a 15-year volunteer, said the initiatives have enriched her understanding of Vietnamese culture while enabling her to mentor young doctors, adding that she takes pride in seeing many former scholarship recipients now practicing successfully in France.
Alongside its annual activities, ADM Vietnam also runs emergency support projects. Following recent central Vietnam floods, Duchatel said the group is preparing targeted relief based on field reports from volunteers in underserved areas.
For 2026, the association plans to maintain its core medical missions, medical French training, and the annual competition selecting two outstanding students for summer internships in France, ensuring its values built over 33 years continue to grow./.
