| Dec 2008 | Year-to-Date | Total | |
| Outpatient | 113,540 |
||
| Inpatient | |||
| Intensive Care Unit | |||
| Low Acuity Unit | 85 |
||
| Emergency | |||
| Surgery | |||
| Home Care | |||
| Dental Care | |||
| Eye Care | 3,238 |
||
| ARV Treatment | 7 |
75 |
|
| Lab Tests |
Thank You!
We all look forward to 2009 with great excitement knowing
that we can continue to in our goal of providing better health care to the
children of Cambodia.
One Child's Story
Left: 2 month old Meng Moth with mother
Right: Nurse Sorn Chenda with another young child treated in the hospital
this month.
Many of the children admitted to AHC for medical care come from very far away. The parents, often poor rice farmers, simply do not have the money to travel from the countryside to AHC whenever their child gets sick. By the time they have exhausted local health care options and make the choice to use valuable funds to travel to Siem Reap their child’s condition is quite severe.
2 month old Meng Moth lives with his family in Banteay Meanchey, more than 70 kilometers from Siem Reap. When Meng Moth started getting sick with diarrhea, poor feeding, and breathing difficulties his mother brought him to a local private clinic. After two days in the private clinic, the young infant was not improving and his mother had no more money to pay the clinic fees. It was then she decided to borrow 80,000 Riel ($20 USD) to pay for the transportation to travel to Siem Reap and have her children seen at AHC.
Diagnosed with pneumonia and sepsis, the child was admitted to AHC’s Inpatient
Department (IPD) where treatment, medications, and education were provided
for free. In addition, like all poor families staying at AHC, the family
also received food support and hygiene supplies. After less than one week
in the hospital, Meng Moth improved enough to be discharged home with his
mother and given funds to pay for their travel back to their village.
Volunteers
Ellen Roth teaching AHC staff Chuon Moa how to provide
massage to patient.
Thank you to the 41 international volunteers who donated their time and
skills at AHC this in December.
The children in the Low Acuity Unit and Home Care received a special holiday
treat this December; massages from volunteer Ellen Roth. Ellen is a massage
therapist from New York City who has volunteered 3 times at AHC. At first
she gave a lecture and taught massage techniques to nurses. This year she
has focused on helping the nursing staff teach therapeutic massage to parents.
By doing this, Ellen has accomplished the goal of all AHC volunteers – she
has worked herself out of a job. Thank you Ellen and congratulations!
APLS Training
Dr. Pheaktra trains as APLS instructor and demonstrates
advanced medical skills to other AHC staff
Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS) is an exciting curriculum designed to present the information doctors and nurses need to appropriately assess and care for critically ill and injured children.
In December, for the fourth consecutive year, a dedicated group of qualified
Australian volunteers traveled to Siem Reap to teach Cambodian health workers
the fundamentals of APLS. Two courses were held, a “Provider” session to
for 24 Cambodian health workers, and a separate training session to teach
an “Instructor” course so that local staff can continue to train other Cambodian
medical staff.
Providing Basic First-Aid Training to Other NGOs
AHC staff teaching first-aid to the staff of M’lop Tapang
Also in December, a group of AHC nurses traveled down to Sihanoukville, located on the southern coast of Cambodia, to provide basic first-aid training to 24 staff of a local organization based there. The organization M’lop Tapang works with street children by offering regular meals, shelter, medical care, education, counseling, and protection from all types of abuse.
Government
Health Workers' Study Tour of AHC
Study tour nursing staff visit IPD
As the reputation of AHC continues to grow, not only are we seeing more children each month, but we are also regular receiving requests from other Cambodian hospitals to spend time and learn at our facility. This month, a group of 23 nurses from Mongkulborei, Thmor Pourk and Preah Neth Preah referral hospitals conducted a two-day study tour of AHC, observing our nursing care practices and our nutrition program.
Annual Angkor Wat Half Marathon
Left: The course for the annual run winds through the centuries old Angkor Wat temple complex.
Right: Hospital staff participate in fitness class
The 2008 Angkor Wat International Half Marathon held on 7th December. This year more than 2500 people participated. Although there were representatives from 43 different countries, the vast majority of the runners were from Cambodia, including almost 100 AHC staff and families who completed the half marathon, 10km, 5km or 3km run.
Joining the AHC staff this year in the annual run this year was an energetic group of Canadian supporters. The group, lead by Dr. Chris Zed, of UBC, donated their time at the hospital as well as more than $10,000 they had raised in pledges.
Three members this Canadian team are staff at Innovative Fitness (Vancouver).
AHC staff were very happy when team offered a fitness class at the hospital
for everyone and tips on how to stay healthy and in shape throughout the
year.