Untitled Document

September at AHC

	September 2007	Year to Date	Total
Outpatient	10,513	81,110	482,114
Inpatient	300	3,011	21,719
Intensive Care Unit	74	590	3,075
Low Acuity Unit	73	613	6,654
Emergency	743	9,613	80,742
Surgery	100	1,012	7,705
Home Care	212	1,808	9,381
Dental Care	1,806	19,111	81,326
Eye Care	220	2,162	9,231
ARV Treatment	6	52	399
Lab Tests	4,118	44,313	244,825

< back to archives

Dengue Fever Epidemic Subsides

It now appears that the epidemic of Dengue Fever in Cambodia this year has passed. We would like to extend our appreciation to everyone that generously supported the hospital during this crisis. Without that extra help we could not have managed for the last few months. Thank you!

During the epidemic the hospital treated over 2000 more children diagnosed with Dengue Fever than we did during the same time period in 2006. Although we continue to see more cases than last year, the numbers are decreasing dramatically. The staff now jokes that “it’s so nice to be back to only having ALL of the beds full all the time, not like before when we were so over filledl”.

Even without facing an epidemic there continues to be more than 300 Cambodian children and their families arriving at the hospital each day seeking care. The types of illnesses we are seeing at the hospital are typical of the common conditions most affecting the health of Cambodian children - diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and trauma. About half of the children we see are underweight.

One of the major Cambodian religious festivals of the year is Pchum Ben. The festival is mainly dedicated to ancestors, relatives or people who passed away. It's been said that during this period, the people who have passed away will be waiting for something offered by their relatives who are alive. People cook meals for monks, bring offerings to the temple and throw rice near the temple early in the morning, believing that their ancestors will receive it.

Volunteers

In September, AHC was extremely fortunate to host more than 30 volunteers who worked alongside our local staff sharing their expertise. This month the volunteers arrived from such countries as USA, Australia, UK, Canada and Germany. The different skills and knowledge these volunteers shared with us varied as much as the countries they came from.

A team of Australian doctors, nurses and support staff arrived to work with our Operating Room staff. During their one week stay, the team assisted our local Cambodian surgical staff in performing much needed cardiac surgery for 15 Cambodian children. The surgeries performed were to correct a congenital defect known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). Not only are Cambodian children being treated, AHC staff continues to develop their own skills and knowledge so that one day soon they can perform the surgeries on their own.

Visit by Clinton Foundation Staff

This month we were visited by staff of the Clinton Foundation who requested to observe some of the activities of our hospital’s Home Care-HIV/AIDS program. There was certainly a lot to show them. There are now more than 500 children registered in AHC’s HIV/AIDS clinic. In addition to spending time inside the hospital speaking with our staff, the team also joined our Home Care staff on an outreach visit to one of the families we follow in the community. The Home Care staff visits approximately 200 families each month, 60% of the children seen are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Sharing Our Skills and Knowledge

As part of national strategy to improve the quality of child health care at rural hospitals, the MOH has been sending assessment teams to evaluate the care and services and management at these government facilities. AHC is among the organizations that have been asked by the MOH to help conduct these assessments and make recommendations. This is a multi-year process that looks at government hospitals throughout the country. This month Dr. Pheaktra and Som Sophal joined the assessment team at Siem Reap Provincial Hospital while Tep Navy joined the assessment team to evaluate patient care Mongkul Borie Referral Hospital.

Also venturing out to rural Cambodia to help teach was Prak Manila and Dr. Pagnarith, invited to join the group of instructors teaching an Emergency Treatment and Triage (ETAT) course for staff from Kompong Cham Referral Hospital and nearby government Health Centers. The one week training course was funded by WHO (World Health Organization) and aimed to teach health workers basic emergency treatment and procedures for children.

New Rotary Club in Siem Reap

For several years Rotary Clubs from around the world have helped to support the work at AHC. This month saw the inaugural meeting of the Siem Reap Rotary Club. One of the founding members of this new Rotary chapter is AHC’s very own Dr. Lyda. Dr. Lyda notes, “I am very excited to start the club because so many poor people in the village and the Rotary club community from around the world can help”

Progress of New Visitor Center

The commotion caused by trucks delivering concrete for the AHC’s visitor’s center last week was proof of forward progress and foretelling of many construction milestones yet to come. Once completed, the visitor’s center will raise awareness of AHC, improve patient privacy, and encourage tourists to both learn about and support the hospital. As a vehicle of information, the building will present a first hand account of Khmer culture, the mission of the AHC, and the ongoing work of doctors, donors and staff. Cook + Fox Architects, Furuyama and Ryan, an architect lending his skills on site, continue to work on delivering a building that matches the AHC’s role as a leader within a developing Khmer community.

The modern design, with its innovative uses of local construction techniques, will serve as a model for new construction in Cambodia. To avoid taxing existing resources the visitor’s center can store up to 48 cubic meters of collected rain water, which will be pumped through a series of filters for use in the toilets and sinks. The design team continues to seek opportunities to use photo voltaic panels on the roof of the building and reduce electrical demand with efficient lighting technologies. Additionally, research has been conducted for use of recycled terrazzo aggregate in the floor, sustainable wood on the exterior louvers, and materials that increase the building’s insulation properties.

Beyond the visitor’s center, the design team is working with a Cambodian organization that promotes sustainability through biofuels. With their support and expertise, the AHC is aiming to upgrade its existing generator and install a Jatropha seed oil refinery that will provide a cleaner-burning and cheaper fuel. As the hospital continues to update its technology the new power-generating components have been selected to support energy demands of the future.

If construction remains on schedule the visitor’s center will cheer a soft opening in February of 2008 and celebrate a grand opening soon after. Magazines and radio stations from abroad have already expressed interest in touting the building’s mission and environmental efficiencies, so don’t be alarmed if you hear about this project well before, and long after, its official opening.

Award Winning Website

Congratulations to Carolina Castellano and the team of FWAB NY and the folks at One Web Source, LLC who helped develop our new websites. The Web Marketing Association has presented the 2007 WEBAWARD for Outstanding Achievement in Website Development.

For more details check out: http://www.webaward.org/winner.asp?eid=9430