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Cambodia PDF Print E-mail
Written by Goce Naunov   
Saturday, 26 April 2008 10:56
Update of the project



http://angkorhospital.org/help_vol_medical.php?state=1#Den

In this year we are getting many requests from students , In the Augest 1st-15th we have two students already booked. You can send some one from 15th -30th Augest, but we have to inform you we canot get more than two students in a time . We have a small clinic with two chairs and the one dentist.

When you comfirmed your program, Sophery who is the our volunteer coordinator will give you more informations that the need to know before arrive.

www.angkorhospital.org is the our web site pl visit and find more about us.

Contact: : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Cambodia is one of the world’s poorest countries and needs lots of help for health sector. I have heard people say that before the Polpot time there were lots of health centers around the country and people could get good service. But now when we go far from the city area people always live with lack of health facilities. Some time health centers provide service for the people but not all the time in the day. And also people get treatment for especially for malaria, typhoid, Dengue, Diarrhea, and some of the surgical problems from the health centers. But not for the oral health problems only for other medical or surgical problems. Whenever they have tooth problems they go to the doctors to get only extraction. Most of these doctors never learn form the dental university. They just help for the people by their experience. But people never think about the safety of those procedures. But they do not have any choice to meet the proper dentists. They are very poor.

When I started to work in Angkor hospital for children in Siem Reap as a nurse supervisor we did not have dental unit for oral health problems. But when we work with the children who come to our hospital with other health problems we realized they definitely need help for oral hygiene also. So we tried to give them at least habit for toothbrushing when they stay in patient department. Many children also their parents never brushed their teeth before.

The nurses who trained under us they only had habit for brush teeth only in the morning, because nobody does heard much about dental hygiene. So at the first step we tried to educate them how important our teeth same as our other body parts. Actually it was amazing our local nurses got good understand about what we talking. Then all the nurses after their lunch go to wash room with the toothbrush. Then slowly we encouraged them to teach for their patients to brush teeth. Each patient if they don’t have a toothbrush we advised them to provide one toothbrush from the hospital.

At that period our hospital director Mr. Jon Morgan really concern about to develop one dental unit for the children. Fortunately when I was in Sri Lanka I got one-year experience about dental nursing with working Peradeniya Dental teaching hospital. When our director discussed about to organize proper unit for oral health problem I thought that was a good opportunity for me to help poor Cambodian children.

Year 2000 December, Angkor Hospital for Children started dental unit for take care poor children’s teeth in Siem Reap province. At the beginning we had only one dentist who passed out from dental faculty of Phnom Penh. And we had little equipment that was donated by Rotary club. But we did treatment for the children who came to hospital only. And we continued one health education program for the out patient departments who are the children waiting for get treatment with their parents. Then I visited Nursing school in Kompom Cham. I met dental school supervisor Mrs. Maria. And I discussed possibility to train one nurse by us. And I collected the entire curriculum manual what they use.

Primary school program

Then year 2001 March we recruited one medical nurse as a Dental Assistant. He got trained according to dental curriculum in Kompom Cham nursing school. While we were training Dental Assistant we planed to expand treatment and health education program to the primary school. The first school that 9km far from our hospital. That school we had more than 300students, so every week we did teaching for them twice (each time 1h30mn). And we checked their teeth and 2days per week we brought them who had tooth problem to our dental unit for treatment. Then the same program we applied to Kravan primary school. While this program going on we realized we were unable to go very far from the hospital because it is very difficult to arrange transportation. So at the moment we suggested we need portable dental unit for community treatment.

During this period, we got very essential donation from Japan by Dr Simazu. These were equipment storage corner cabinet, glass wall cabinet, air compressor and complete dental chair with lots of equipment. Then we could arrange our unit very well. After that we got portable dental unit through Rotary club for community treatment. Then we created one air cylinder as a compressor to work our portable dental unit.

Health centers and village people

When we go very far from the city we do not have electricity, so we started to use our car battery to get the light for treatment. Also we use two small fans, for avoid flies. Because same time we do not have room with well covered in the community. Also have to consider infection control. With the portable dental unit we started to provide treatment in 05/12/2001 at Sambour health center. It is near to Sambour primary school. So all the kids when they have tooth problem, they come to our clinic on Tuesday afternoon with their teachers, so it is happy for us now they have a habit to think about their teeth because now they see our mobile dental clinic every week go to health center and they know why we go their. Also village people very eager to come to our clinic, they are very familiar with our work. Health center staff always, encourage people to come to our clinic. And to Chreav health center we go to Friday 1h30mn – 5h00pm. Both health center staff came to Angkor hospital for training cause. So at that time they got education about dentistry by our Dental Assistant. So now they teach to village people how to brush tooth, what kind of food do we need for get good and strong teeth, what kind of food we do not eat a lot.

Cambodia

In Cambodia, always a round the city area people have a lot of facilities when we compare to countryside people. But some times, just more than 5km far from the city people do not have any health facilities. They do not have health center, even some times if they have a health center they do not have staff to work over there. For those patients we realized it is very important to go to the village with mobile unit, and to treat for the people, especially for the children. Some time village people they get treatments from the traditional doctors, even it is not safety. They do not use medications for pain, anesthesia or anything. Some time they get infections also. So we realized it is every important to expand our program to the community.

One the other hand all the time when we meet children and the adults we do not hesitate to give any medical advise if it is possible and if it is necessary. Some time we meet sick children and we bring them to our hospital by our car. Parents have no money to go to hospital so they keep their child with them until get worse. And we give advice about primary health care. When the parents come with their child we do not hesitate to ask about their family back ground, like do they need family planning advise, do they need education about their malnourish child, check whether the children cut their nail.... Etc. If it is in health center we always encourage them to meet health center staff. All the people come to clinic they get oral education and if they have no toothbrush we supply toothbrushes also. And our dentists do extraction, Fuji IX filling. Dental Assistant does education also scaling. Especially young children come to our clinic for only extraction. They do not know how important our teeth, because they do not get enough health education from environment they live. We always check their teeth and try to do filing if they have caries more and we give appointment for come weekly to meet dentist. Every afternoon on Tuesday and Friday we get average 10-15patients. And when we go to school in one treatment session we treat around 20-25 children. Especially when we go to school we do fluoride rinsing for children.

Volunteers

This numbers always we can increase when we have volunteers to work with us. All the time we have to send many patients back with out treatments whenever we do not have volunteers. Because now around those two health centers people know about our mobile clinic. So all the people who have any tooth problem they come to our clinic.

Cambodia

If I mention about school program each school first time we meet teachers and we discuss with them about their students. Then we teach for the teachers about oral hygiene. We use posters, written materials and small play games. And then each time when we go to school first teacher teach about oral hygiene. Then our dental nurse and dentist explain more about how to brush teeth correctly. Then we provide one toothbrush for each student. After that we demonstrate how to brush teeth correctly, then all the students practice to brush teeth. Actually all those tooth brushes we got as donation. When many people heard about our project that they did not hesitate to donate toothbrushes, tooth paste, amalgam, composites, Fuji ix, instruments and many equipment. Especially Dr Frits (SOS Phon Phen} all ways try to help us with advising and providing lots of instruments. And we have to appreciate a lot for all the volunteers came to work with us. We all Ways get problem with manpower. Because our team is very small. Only three people if we do not have volunteers. So it is very important any body like to work with us as a volunteer to help poor kids in Cambodia.

Recently we are having three Japanese dentists for four months. With them we started to go new primary school instead of our normal program. Here we meet each class three times. This school has more than 500 students. The day first we do with them one question paper about basic hygiene. And same day we started for them fluoride rinsing. According our observation around city area children has lots of caries rather than countryside. Because city area children can get lots of sweet products also they have money. But countryside kids so poor, their parents do only farming. They do not have sweet things to eat. Those kids all ways eat fruits, vegetable, fish and many natural foods .So their percentage of the caries is very low.

In this school more than 75% kids have caries. With our new program we are going to continue 5 years fluoride rinsing program for them. Also we already finished 3 primary school with oral health education and treatments. According to our volunteer capacity we will start to continue fluoride rinsing for those three primary schools. The day second we check their weight and height. And we teach about oral hygiene and demonstration about eruption of the teeth. Third day we give them tooth brushes and teach them how to do proper tooth brushing. Also they are advised to come to our dental clinic who are the children have tooth problems. Because this school very close to our dental unit. Even when we finished teaching for all the classes we stay with them our mobile clinic one-day for treatment.

So we bring this small story for you from northern Cambodia, Siem Reap. The location is small world for sick children , Angkor hospital. We try to make them smile with nice teeth. We need lots of hands for help. We are looking volunteers hand chains to take care for these kids. And to continue our community program forever. And also very important all the volunteers can share their knowledge with us.

Actually if you see how much those countryside kids trust us, 6 years, 7 years kids they come alone to our clinic. And slowly lay down on the lap of our dentist to get their treatment . But they never cry. They shake our hearts. Help is one of the human needs , it is not limit for adults, children all ways need help. But their parents busy with the rice field no time for help them. So these small live bodies float alone to get help to stop their hurt. People all ways try to see the bright side of the world but the dark side of the world a lots people suffer without help.

Ms Geetha Welabada
Angkor hospital for Children
Dental project Manager & General Nurse
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Contact Information:

Angkor hospital for children
PO Box 50, Siem Reap, Cambodia
T/F 063-96-3490
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