Chairman Colin Read introduced two fellow Rotarians that he had met on his recent visits to Phnom Penh CAMBODIA. Colin spoke of the abject squalor and poverty that is so prevalent in Cambodia, especially in the rural areas. Mother and child mortality is extremely high and there is virtually no government support for even the most basic health and sanitary needs. if not for the aid workers and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), the plight of Cambodians would be significantly worse.
One such NGO is Supporting Silk Sisters, (SSS) a registered Australian Charity that commenced working in volunteering in Cambodia in 2013. Their main focus is clinical education for midwives and nurses , coaching and support at a rural referral hospital and the provision of free pop up clinics in rural villages and urban slums or displacement camps. They also provide equipment and medical drugs to support Prey Kabas Referral Hospital in Takeo province.
Marcel Campbell is a registered nurse and the Director of SSS. She has forty years experienced as a registered nurse, including twenty years working in clinical education, primary health care, mental health and other clinical areas. She is a qualified mental health nurse and has a Masters in Remote Health Practice. Marcel has worked in remote Indigenous and rural areas throughout Australia. She brings her remote clinical skills and experience of working in primary health care and community development to urban slums and remote rural areas of Cambodia.Dr Nourn Sophat is also a member of the Rotary Club of Phnom Penh and director of the Prey Kabas Hospital. The hospital was built in the 1940s from recycled materials. It services a population of 152,000 and delivers 350 babies annually. Because of poor maternal nutrition infant mortality is unacceptable high.
The hospital desperately needs a dedicated Birthing Suite which will cost $US12,000 to build. Marcel and Dr Sophat appealed to our Club for assistance.