Save The Date:
8th Annual Fundraising Gala benefitting
Angkor Hospital for Children
Photo Credit: Karl Grobl
Did you know April 13th is the Cambodian New Year? Come shop our Cambodian
marketplace, experience traditional rituals and dance the night
away! All while you support Angkor Hospital for Children!
Place: Tribeca Rooftop
2 Desbrosses Street
New York, NY 10013
(One Block South of Canal)
7:00 - 11:00 PM
Tickets: http://www.fwab.org/help_event.php
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Newly Recruited Nurses
New Members of the Nursing Team at AHC
As a result of an expansion in services (AHC Satellite Clinic), Angkor
Hospital for Children decided to recruit (16) sixteen new nurses.
Forty-two candidates attended the selection process, conducted at
AHC, which included a Nursing Care test, an examination in English
and a personal interview. Successful candidates had to pass each
of the three components of the testing procedure.
The final selection was based on the highest test and interview
scores. Sixteen nurses (seven females and nine males) were selected,
three from Battembang Regional Training Center, five from Kampong
Cham Regional Training Center, three from Stung Treng Regional Training
Center, three from Kampot Regional Training Center and two from
the Technical School for Medical Care. These candidates demonstrated
an ample knowledge of nursing interventions and mathematics as well
as a high standard of English, sufficient for working in the hospital.
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AHC Patient
Story: Oun Sovarny
Oun Sovary's Hand Before Surgery
Oun Sovanry, a one year-old girl from Kratie province came to AHC
to find help for bilateral club hands with which she was born. Her
parents are farmers and had to sell over 100,000 Riel ($25) of rice
to raise the money they needed for transportation from Kratie to
Siem Reap, a distance of about 600 kilometers.
Sovanry was admitted to the surgical unit in January. The surgical
procedure on her right hand was successful after a two and a half
hour surgery. It will be repeated in the coming months for her left
hand.
We extend many thanks to Dr. Desmond Brown,
Orthopedic Surgeon from the US, for volunteering his time and expertise
at AHC. He helps to save and improves many children's lives in Cambodia.
Oun Sovary's Hand After Surgery
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AHC Plays Important
Role In Training of Cambodian Nurses & Doctors
Referral Hospital Nurses Train at AHC
Kratie Referral Hospital in Cambodia, sent a group of seven nurses
and three medical assistants/physicians to AHC for further education
and training. Ms. Prak Manila, head of Nursing Education organized
the four week program for the nurses. Dr. Leakhena was responsible
for the eight weeks of course study for the medical assistants/physicians
and one labaratory technician from Kratie, who is also studying
at AHC.
The activity is coordinated by the group Cambodian Medical Services
Support Organization (CMSSO) and supported by the generous funding
from the McKnight Foundation. This continuing education program
will improve the quality of pediatric care in the Kratie Hospital.
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First Oculoplastic
Surgery Takes Place at AHC
Meoun Tann Before & After Surgery
In January, an eight-year-old boy with a smiling face sat on a
bed with his mother in AHC's surgical ward. He was waiting to
go to the operating theater for surgery on his right eye. A nurse
was talking to he and his mother about the procedures before going
to the OT.
The reason that Meoun Tann came to AHC was because
of an injury to his right eye. In May, 2009 he fell from a tree
and suffered trauma on the right side of his forehead. He was taken
to a private physician in his commune and the wound was cleaned
and sutured.
Ten days later the right side of his forehead had
unusual swelling and pain. His mother took him back to the physician
and there was a small piece of the wood inside his right eyelid.
After that was removed the pain stopped and his vision was normal,
but his right eyelid was still swollen.
Tann's mother was told by a neighbor to bring him
to AHC. AHC's eye doctor examined Tann and told him and his mother
to come back to see the Ophthalmologist from the US in January 2010
because the X-ray showed what appeared to be a small piece of wood
on the upper right side of his forehead. Dr. Kami Parsa, an AHC
volunteer Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgeon from California,
checked on Tann's condition and determined that he would be able
to remove the foreign body successfully. At surgery, Dr. Parsa removed
a 7cm piece of wood from Tann's eye! Tann stayed in the surgical
ward under the care of AHC's nurses and doctors, while his right
eye healed from surgery.
Without the expertise of doctors at AHC, Tann's quality
of life would be drastically different. Today, he is recovering
at home with family. They would like to give a special thank you
to AHC and especially Dr. Kami Parsa for his help.
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Dr. Pheaktra Defends First Successful Doctoral Thesis
for AHC
Dr. Pheaktra & His Family At The Final Thesis Defense
Dr. Ngoun Chan Pheaktra is one of Angkor Hospital for Children's
Cambodian doctors and is the Director of the Medical Department
at AHC. He graduated from Medical School in Cambodia in 1997 and
started working at AHC in 1999. Before he became the Director
of the Medical Department, he was trained as a Pediatrician and
supervised the Emergency Room. He is married and has two children.
In 2006, the Cambodian Ministry of Health (MoH) required all doctors
to complete their doctoral thesis for their medical profession.
Eight of AHC's Cambodian doctors submitted their thesis applications.
During the same period, in order to certify AHC as an official teaching
hospital, practicing physicians who are also teachers were required
to have their doctoral thesis completed and approved by MoH. In
his generation, there are only a few doctors that completed this
essential task.
Dr. Pheaktra was extremely committed and worked very
hard on his thesis concerning child development. He created a tool
called the "AHC Development Milestone Assessment Tool"
to measure and evaluate child development, which was not previously
available in medical care in Camboida. Dr. Pheaktra's Assessment
Tool is a great accomplishment in improving the health care system
in the country.
Dr. Pheaktra had many challenges during the two years of working
on his thesis, including managing the entire medical department,
teaching the junior doctors and providing treatment to many sick
children. Luckily, he had wonderful support from his family and
from AHC. He would like to acknowledge and give grateful thanks
to Ms. Lina Seom Stoy, Dr. Katja Van't Ende, Dr. Varun Kumar, Ms.
Sarah Tarquino, Dr. Alfred Scherzer, Mr. David Shoemaker and Dr.
William Housworth for lending their assistance in helping him successfully
complete his thesis. Moreover, he would liek to thank the Thesis
Juries Committee and Theis Format Committee of the University of
Health Science for spending their time and effort to review and
apporve his thesis.
He recommends that other AHC doctors have the commitment
to complete a thesis for their own professional future, as well
as the future of AHC. Congratulations to Dr. Pheaktra!
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Volunteer Story: Dr. Katinka Morton
Dr. Katinka Morton Lectures at AHC Campus
It was a privilege to return to Angkor Hospital for Children as
a volunteer in January. I work in Melbourne, Australia, as a consultant
psychiatrist and as a director of a training program for doctors
specializing in psychiatry. I was especially delighted this year
to hear about all the training achievements of the staff at AHC
in the last twelve months. The Staff at AHC are committed to caring
for Cambodia's children and continue to see education as an important
tool in ensuring that the best possible care is provided.
While at AHC i was available to see children and families
that staff had mental health concerns about, whether they were in
the ED/ICU, the Outpatient Department or in the Inpatient Department.
I appreciated how enthusiatstic the staff was in thinking about
the holistic care of families, and admire their dedication to this.
I also appreciated how many Staff at AHC were will
to translate for me when I was seeing children and gamilies, and
how thoughtfully they did this. The children adn their families
were enormously patient about a Barang (foreign) doctor, and demonstrated
a wonderful sense of humor. The children and their families were
also courageous in confiding their fears and worries and their willingness
to do so reflects the enormous confidence they have in AHC. THe
stories of their struggles and determination humbled and inspired
me every day.
I look forward to returning to work at AHC next year,
and appreciate the opportunity to do so. AHC is indeed a special
place.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katinka Morton
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Two Milestones at AHC in 2010
Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) held the celebration of its
11th Anniversary on the 30th of January, 2010. Honored guests
included invitees from government ministries, embassies, and NGOs,
as well as the private sector and donors. The morning began with
an introduction about Angkor Hospital for Children's projects
followed by speeches from the keys persons from Friends, AHC,
Director of Siem Reap Provincial Health Department, Siem Reap
Provincial Governor, and Minister of Ministry of Health. Later
that morning seventeen AHC staff were presented with the Recognition
Certificate honoring Ten Years of Service.
AHC is working to transform Cambodia's health care by establishing
AHC Satellite Clinic twenty miles from AHC in Sot Nikum District
of Siem Reap where many of AHC's current patients live. The Clinic
is constructed on land owned by the government operated Sot Nikum
Referral Hospital. AHC will replicate its quality care, reducing
the morbidity and mortality of delayed treatment thereby saving
time, resources and precious lives. While the government healthcare
system improves, much aid is still needed. With the new clinicserving
a population of over 300,000, it is conceivable that this project
may be the start of a dramatic improvement in the health care available
to Cambodians.
The opening ceremony of the Satellite Clinic
will be held at Sot Nikum Referral Hospital
on Sunday, February 21st, 2010.
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Come Visit The Friends Center!
Angkor Hospital for Children accepts funding from donors from around
the world, international grants and partnerships with non-profit
organizations. AHC needs your generous support to continue to give
compassionate medical care to the children of Cambodia. Come visit
Angkor Hospital for Children and learn more about the hospital and
satellite facility and how you can help support them at The Friends
Center at Angkor Hospital for Children.
The NEED 
