Operation Walk was set up in 1996 by Dr. Larry Dorr, Los Angeles, and has expanded to form 15 separate chapters in North America. The next stage in the development of the organisation is to make it an international group and to this end, Operation Walk Ireland was set up by Mr Derek Bennett in 2016. Last year the Irish team partnered with Operation Walk Chicago to perform Operation Walk’s first International joint mission in Hanoi, Vietnam. This mission performed a staggering 86 hip & knee replacements in just 5 days and engaged in a surgical educational program with the Vietnamese Orthopaedic surgeons.

 

The first independent Operation Walk Ireland mission will take place in Hanoi, Vietnam in May 2017. Operation Walk Ireland is at ground level working to educate Vietnamese surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and physiotherapists about joint replacement. Vietnam is a country of 93 million people who have rapidly improved their prosperity in recent times. Over the last 20 years the percentage of the population classified as “in poverty” has fallen from 58% to 13% and the life expectancy is rising rapidly. This creates a population with a rapidly increasing demand for joint replacement. We have estimated that as development proceeds, Vietnam will reach an annual demand for hip & knee replacements of 260,000 annually.

 

We need your help to fundraise for our first Operation Walk Ireland solo mission to Hanoi in May. We are hosting a charity lunch in the Conrad Hotel in Dublin on Friday 10th February from 12.30-4pm. There will also be an auction on the day with some fantastic items up for sale. If you would like to attend or for more info please contact us. Operation Walk Charity Auction List