News Release

Medical Equipment Donated to Cambodia

Cambodia Healthcare Improvement Project

As part of its welfare and humanitarian aid to Cambodia, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently established the Cambodia Healthcare Improvement Project which was to provide assistance to local hospitals, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, with an aim to increase their skill level and to improve the public health facilities to meet the needs of those they serve, especially in rural regions.

This project is staffed by retired physicians and other health professionals from the Church, with their spouse. They started with multiple visits to rural clinics and hospitals to build relationships and to determine training and equipment needs. Training sessions and donation of equipment in two rural hospitals were recently completed. The medical professionals that received the training expressed increased confidence in their ability to care for their patients.

“You may think this is just a small contribution, but to us it is very big,” said General Meach Sophana, Secretary of State from the Ministry of Interior, who is supportive of the project.

          

The first training was held on August 7-8, 2019 in the Prey Veng Hospital, with 40 healthcare providers in attendance. They were trained on the use and maintenance of equipment: Zoll Series M Defibrillators, Dynamap monitors and GMac 1200 ECG machine. Presentation of each item was made with a PowerPoint and accompanying workbooks and visual demonstration. All the participants were able to have a “hands on” use of the equipment to check for understanding.

The Equipment Handover Ceremony for the Pea Riang Hospital in the PreyVeng Province was held on August 15, 2019. About 175 people were in attendance, including district, commune, and village leadership, hospital staff and people from the community. General Sophana presided and formally accepted the equipment on behalf of the hospital, and Elder Peter F. Meurs from the Asia Area Presidency presented the equipment on behalf of the Church.

General Sophana greatly appreciated the Church’s contribution. He was impressed with the presentation which showed the progress and future plans of the project and asked for a copy to show to other government officials for training purposes.

“Don’t be the kind of hospital that asks first if the patient can pay,” General Sophana stated. “Admit the patient, treat them, then work on the money issues. If there are problems, talk to me and I will work it out.”

“I wait to see this hospital become closer to a western hospital."stated Dr. Armstrong who leads the medical training team. "That won’t happen now, but you can work on it and continue to improve."

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