April at AHC

	April 2008	Year-to-Date	Total
Outpatient	7,461	32.946	541,682
Inpatient	249	912	23,449
Intensive Care Unit	60	219	3,491
Low Acuity Unit	73	326	7,211
Emergency	629	2,447	84,080
Surgery	117	461	8,569
Home Care	244	885	11200
Dental Care	1,032	4,200	91,616
Eye Care	246	1,111	11,054
ARV Treatment	10	35	467
Lab Tests	3,925	11,721	268,410

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Rising Food Costs

Left: A typical Cambodian street-side food stand.
Middle: Parents cooking in the hospital's kitchen.
Right: Families receiving daily food rations at AHC.

Cambodia’s rate of food inflation hit 24% last month - the highest in almost a decade and one of the highest in the region. A kilogram of rice that cost approximately 1,200 Riel (30 cents) in 2007 now costs more than 3,000 (75 cents) Riel. A kilogram of fish has increased from about 6,000 Riel to about 12,000 Riel. The simple meals at street stands, a staple for many of our young staff that move to Siem Reap to work at the hospital, cost 2000 Riel in 2007 but now cost almost 4,000 Riel.

Hardest hit by the soaring food prices are Cambodia’s poor. On average more than 70% of expenditures of a Cambodian household is already spent on food. The recent rapid increase of food prices hits these households the hardest as they have little room in their budget to expand the food part in their expenditures. Malnutrition, especially in rural Cambodia, is already widespread It is estimated that more than one third of Cambodian children under the age of five years old are moderately or severely underweight. A 2006 survey, well before the recent increase in food prices, found that 22 percent of Cambodians in rural areas could not meet their own basic food needs. Continuing food costs will prove devastating for the country.

For almost two years, AHC has been partnering with Abbott (USA) to provide food to poor families while their child is being treated in the hospital - more than 300 families in April. In addition to providing food, our nutrition program also includes individual and group teaching, a demonstration garden, and demonstration cooking classes twice a day.


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Training of Government Staff


Left: Health Center nurses practice their assesment skills while training at AHC.
Right: AHC Nursing Education Coordinator, Manila Prak, during a training follow-up visit to Anglong Veng Referral Hospital.

In cooperation with CB-HEP continued hands-on training is being provided for nurses from neighboring government Health Centers. In April, four nurses working at Popel and Chan Sao Health Centers (approximately 60km from AHC). Training included both classroom theory as well as hands on clinical practice.

An important component of most training programs is follow-up visits to the participant’s workplace. In April, several AHC staff members conducted two-day post-training follow-up visits to Kralanh Referral Hospital, Anlong Veng Referral Hospital and to Samrong Referral Hospitals. In December 2007 and January 2008, several government doctors and nurses from those Referral Hospitals spend time training at AHC. The two-day follow-up visits allowed AHC staff to review and assess these government hospitals and staff to see what improvements have been made since training. The second day focuses on clinical teaching and coaching.

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Khmer New Year

Left: Sokry, Oma, Narey, and Rany celebrate Khmer New Year at the hospital's party.
Middle: Part of the playful fun during Khmer New Year is to splash water on your friends and passing motorists.
Right: A typical "taxi" that many people use for transportation during the holidays. The roads are very dusty during this dry season.

Khmer New Year (“Choul Chnam Khmer”) is a three-day celebration held every year in the middle of the month of April that marks the end of one year and the beginning of another. It is a time for many people to visit their hometowns and villages to pay respects to their ancestors and to visit with their parents or grandparents.

The first day is called “Maha Sahgkrant”, and a Buddhist temple bell or drum is used to lead everyone into the New Year. As the bell sounds, it is believed that the New Angel arrives. During the day, people will have a special family meal, play traditional New Year games, and take food to the Buddhist monks and pray with them. The second day of the Khmer New Year, called “Vana Bat.” On this day there are more Buddhist prayers, but the main focus is on showing respect and offering gifts to the elders. Parents, grandparents, and other important members of a family, and also teachers, are all shown a special respect to recognize their place and role in Cambodian society and family life. Day three is called “Loeung Sack.” It is a day when statues of the Buddha are cleansed with perfumed water, a gesture considered a kind deed that will bring good luck, long life, and happiness. The cleaning also symbolizes a hope for enough rainfall for the rice harvest in the coming year.

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London Marathon

Jon Norris during the London Marathon.

On April 13, more than 34,000 people finished the 2008 London Marathon. One of those runners was Jon Norris who raised several thousand dollars in donations to help support AHC. This is not the first time Jon has run to support the hospital – he also did the same in the 2007 London Marathon and the 2007 Singapore Vertical Challenge. Thanks Jon!

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8th Annual Fundraising Gala

Basil Stamos, Soklin, Dr. Pises, and Chris Stamos at the 2008 Gala.

Tuesday, April 22 at the New York Athletic Club and was a tremendous success. We have an incredible group of supporters who fill our auctions year after year with beautiful items donated in-kind. This year was no exception as we acquired items such as photographer Steve McCurry’s famous photograph, Afghan Girl, and authentic Cambodian statues and artwork. Photographs from numerous artists were donated along with hand crafted jewelry and event tickets. Thank you to everyone who donated and sponsored our Gala.

Mr. Drew De Carvalho was the Emcee for the evening and did a wonderful job at getting the crowd excited during the live auction. Speeches by Board Member, Dr. Ron Ablow, and Founder, Kenro Izu also inspired and encourage donors throughout the evening. We had three guests from AHC attend the event: Dr. Bill Housworth, the new Executive Director of AHC; Dr. Pises Ngeth and Ms. Soklin Seng, a nurse and ICU leader. They had an exciting evening meeting donors and witnessing firsthand the kindness of those who support their country.

We want to thank Veronique Lee and Chazz Levi for yet again decorating the New York Athletic Club beautifully with cranes that were made throughout the year by children at the hospital. This extra touch made the event so much more personal. We also want to thank all of the volunteers who helped us that night. You are truly Gala professionals by now and we could not do it without you.

Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Gala and we hope to see you again in 2009!

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Visitors to AHC

The royal couple visits a child during their visit to AHC.

In April, AHC was honored to have Prince Charles-Philippe Marie Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Anjou and his new wife, Dona Diana Alvares Pereira de Melo, Duchess of Cadaval (Portugal) stop by and visit the hospital. The couple was touring Cambodia and visiting several projects aimed at helping the poor. Their delegation had heard good things about AHC and took time out of their busy schedule for a short visit.