Nursing in Cambodia This is told by Susan, a retired nurse.
I worked as a nurse for a community in Cambodia from 1986-1987. In many ways, it was the best and worst time of my career. Infirmaries in Cambodia At the time, I worked in a small community. There was no hospital, and only a couple of infirmaries. The larger of the two infirmaries had 8 beds with 2 being considered critical. Beds were hand carved bamboo, however they did have mattresses, similar to what we would find on a futon bed. The beds were not adjustable as hospital beds in the U.S. are, and of course there were no call nurse buttons averrable for patients. there were several people trained in what Americans would think of as CNA’s and they took turns spending the night the in infirmary with the patients. A physician visited every other week, and in the meantime all patients were seen and evaluated by nursing staff. Related:
Your Footwear is as important as your Stethoscope
Healthcare in Cambodia, the Facts Today The lack of accurate statistics and surveys makes planning for the development of the health care system difficult. There has not been a census since 1962, and the system is plagued by a lack of trained personnel, lack of knowledge of public health and epidemiology, security problems related to the continuing war, and severe infrastructure problems from the war years. Over the last 20 years, landmines have been planted in many regions of Cambodia, as they are still today, leaving a trail of injuries, deaths, and mine-infested lands. A 1989 United Nations Development Program Needs Assessment Study, recommends that measures be taken to educate local populations on how to locate areas affected by landmines and to develop measures to deal with them. In 1979 and the early 1980s, Cambodia's health system depended on the many Vietnamese experts present in the country; the system is based on the Vietnamese model, with vestiges of the old French system. Most major hospitals in Phnom Penh, and some hospitals in the provinces, are assisted by medical teams, from both Western and Eastern bloc countries. Although there are attempts to coordinate services among the Red Cross teams, the NGOs, and UN agencies, there are some communication difficulties.