Back in Cambodia

Day 1 of operating at Angkor Hospital for Children has begun and already the vibe is electric! Yesterday the team woke with the sun and got to experience some of the purest beauty in this magical country. As we took in a stunning sunrise over Angkor Wat, a beautiful red ball of fire which casted shadow and light over the historic grounds, reality started to sink in as to what was upon us in the coming days.

Anticipation levels are high with the team, children and families. We are ready to operate, recover and nurture these amazing children back to health. We’ll keep sharing this work with you during this week.

We are also very fortunate to have some very handy men amongst us. Last year they were able to lay down a brick pathway to connect the grounds of the hospital. This visit we are it again, installing some additional shelving around various parts of the hospital.

Today we were able to also donate two ECG (electrocardiograph) machines and three CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines to Angkor Hospital for Children. The ECG machines will be used in both ICU and the surgical wards to help assist accurate assessment of the children’s heart rhythm as they recover from surgery.

Without an ECG, it makes it very hard to analyze and document any electrical changes to the heart following their surgical treatment.

The CPAP machines will be used in ICU to tailor the pressure of oxygen delivered to patients in aid to their recovery. Currently the nurses must alter oxygen delivery through an apparatus containing water which is both timely and variable. These three machines will provide comfort to the patients and accuracy of required oxygen pressure, a very welcomed and beneficial technology.

So it is all systems go! Surgery, Construction, as well as our arts and craft sessions which are always a hit!