| Nov 2008 | Year-to-Date | Total | |
| Outpatient | |||
| Inpatient | |||
| Intensive Care Unit | |||
| Low Acuity Unit | |||
| Emergency | |||
| Surgery | |||
| Home Care | |||
| Dental Care | |||
| Eye Care | 2,020 |
||
| ARV Treatment | 5 |
54 |
|
| Lab Tests |
Volunteers
Thank you to the twenty-eight international volunteers who generously donated
their time and skills in November. Congratulations are also in order to
one of our long time volunteers, Suzanne Brown, who was recently awarded
the Rita L. LeBlanc Philanthropist of the Year by the American Association
of Nurse Anesthetists.
A Couple of the
Children Seen This Month
Ma Mean, an 8 month old boy from the town of Banteay Srey was admitted to our In-Patient Department with the diagnosis of severe malnutrition. Prior to coming to the hospital he had been sick for more than a month with a fever, diarrhea and vomiting. When his condition worsened, his parents took him to the local health center. The staff at the center recognized the severeity of his illness and arranged for him to be transferred to AHC, a journey of about an hour over rough and potholed roads. A history revealed that instead of breast feeding, his mother had been feeding him canned condensed milk since he was one month old. At AHC, his treatment included not only medical care but also education to the mother of healthy feeding practices for her children.
Phalla Reaksa is a 10 week old boy admitted to our Intensive
Care Unit earlier this month. He was born prematurely at 34 weeks. His family
lives in Battambang Province, a distance of 60 km from Siem Reap, and made
the trip to AHC by taxi boat. Phalla has been in the hospital for more than
one month but as his condition has improved, he has been moved from the
ICU to the IPD. When he arrived at the hospital his weight was only one
kg but has since nearly doubled. Barring any complications, Phalla should
be heading back home with his family soon.
Grand
Opening of Center for Friends Without A Border
On November 24, 2008, over 500 people joined at AHC for the Grand Opening of the Friends Center, presided by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Cambodia. He thanks Friends Without A Border and Sterling Stamos Capital Management for their efforts to support Cambodia. Basil Stamos, board member and donor to the Friends Center, of Sterling Stamos and his brother Chris were presented with medals of honor for their generous donations and continued support.
The Center for Friends Without A Border has a revolving art gallery. "Looking East", a portfolio by Steve McCurry, world renowned photographer best known for his "Afghan Girl" cover in National Geographic, will be exhibited through January.
Training
Cambodian Nursing Students
This year's project of training final year Cambodian nursing students in cooperation with the Ministry of Health continued in November. This month, 36 students arrived from Stung Treng and Battambang training centers. Each of the students spend two weeks at AHC attending special lectures as well as supervised bedside practice. The project will finish in December with 36 more students arriving from the same areas bringing the total number of nursing students trained in 2008 to 356.
Also this month, AHC nurses Lor Vary and Tan Bunchoun returned
from Thailand after completing a four-month 'Clinical Teaching in Nursing'
course held at Boromarajonani College of Nursing in Bangkok. We now have
four AHC nurses who have completed this course which has helped to improve
our teaching standsards and provide the nursing students who study at AHC
in the future with a better learning experience.
Clean Water
For most people living in the developed world, the basic ability to have clean water is something we rearely thing about. But in Cambodia, less than half of the population has access to improved drinking water sources.
Thank you to the wonderful organization, A Child's Right (www.a-childs-right.org), for their donation this month of two large water filters and the construction of two clean-water stations at AHC.
Cambodian
Shadow Puppets
Cambodian shadow theater has a long history, dating back over a thousand years to early Angkorian times. Like many other cultural traditions, it was nearly destroyed in the 1970's during the Pol Pot regime, but efforts are being made to recover the lost history of shadow theater.
Our friends at the Amansara Hotel (www.amanresorts.com)
once again donated a beautiful performance that was held this month at the
front of the hospital. Hotel guests were invited to attend to watch the
show along with our patients and their families.
Having Fun
for a Good Cause
A big thank you to our friends and former volunteers, Dr. Bevin and Tanya Frizzel of Calgary. For the second consecutive year, they organized and hosted Casino Royale, a fundraising event in Canada. The night of fun money casino games, door prizes and silent auctions garnered over $22,000 to support programs at AHC.
Bon Om Touk (Water Festival)
One of the major events of the calendar year, the annual Water Festival marks the end of the rainy season and the reversal of the Tonle Sap.
The Tonle Sap water systemreverses its course with the onset of the rainy season around April, flooding the great lake to the north with vast quantities of fresh water pouring down the Mekong from Tibet. When the dry season arrives, the Tonle Sap returns to its southward course, draining the lake back into the Mekong. Home to more than 850 species of fish, the river system is Cambodia's lifeblood and the Water Festival is celebrated at this time to give thanks to the rivers.
The highlight of the three-day Water Festival is boat races held in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Calendars
This year, we will be selling calendars designed by one of our supporters, Gerald Goodman. You can purchase the calendars online at www.fwab.org/help_purchase.php. Each calendar is $20 in the US and $25 outside of the US (shipping is included). Buy your holiday gift today!
12th Annual Photography Auction
Please join us for the 12th Annual Friends of Friends Photography Auction on December 9th in New York. The event will showcase 89 pieces from multiple talented artists, featuring a porfolio by Steve McCurry titled “Children”. The event will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, #5th FL The Level, New York, NY 10011. The event begins with a cocktail hour at 6:00 with bidding commencing at 7:00. Tickets are $50 and will be available for purchase at the door.