KSrelief continues medical projects in Indonesia, Lebanon and Cambodia
Source：KHMER TIMES
From：KHMER TIMES
Update Time：2024/09/06
The Saudi aid agency, KSrelief continued its medical aid projects in Indonesia, Lebanon and Cambodia, state news agency SPA reported.
The initiative in Indonesia provided patients in need of open-heart surgery and catheterisation procedures. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, KSrelief provided 5,817 medical services to 2,396 Syrian refugees living in a host community in Akkar.
In Cambodia, the Saudi aid agency concluded its medical project for facial and jaw surgeries and head and neck tumours in Phnom Penh.
The aid agency’s medical team conducted 69 specialised surgical operations during the campaign, including the removal of benign and cancerous tumours in the mouth, face, and jaw areas. Along with successful facial and jaw reconstruction surgeries.
Regarding policy, the Cambodian government has recognized the shortcomings in the healthcare system and has taken some measures to improve the standard of care. The government has launched several public health programs, particularly focusing on maternal and child health, infectious disease control, and the coverage of basic healthcare services. However, due to limited financial capacity, the implementation of these programs has been relatively slow.
At the same time, the government is also encouraging the development of the private healthcare sector, which, to some extent, compensates for the deficiencies in public healthcare. Many foreigners and well-off locals in Cambodia opt to use private healthcare facilities, which generally offer higher standards of medical services but at a relatively high cost.
According to the latest data, the ratio of doctors in Cambodia is approximately 0.4 to 0.7 per 1,000 people, which is significantly below the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended standard of at least 1 doctor per 1,000 people. The ratio of nursing staff is slightly higher, with about 1.2 to 1.5 nurses or midwives per 1,000 people. These figures indicate that the number of healthcare workers in Cambodia is relatively insufficient, particularly in remote and impoverished areas, where shortages of healthcare personnel are more severe.
The government and international organizations are working to increase the number of healthcare workers through training programs and international aid, but improving this ratio will take time. This shortage of healthcare personnel also affects the quality and coverage of medical services, especially when more specialized care is required.
Overall, while the standard of healthcare in Cambodia is gradually improving, there is still considerable room for enhancement.