By locals for locals. Development at Kantha Bopha Hospitals has continued apace despite the pandemic period: The cardiac specialists from Siem Reap have brought their in-depth experience to Phnom Penh in order to expand the range of services in the capital as well. Just the other way round, the transfer of knowledge took place in the intensive care unit and neonatology, which now also exist in the north of the country. The Cambodian staff train each other, share knowledge and skills. «They all continue to develop, grow with the tasks and face new challenges», Foundation Board member Prof. Oliver Kretschmar, MD, is impressed. The heart specialist from the Children's Hospital Zurich was back on site for the first time after the Covid era, talked to the Cambodian doctors about a possible expansion of treatments and performed complicated interventions with them. «It is an enormous gain that we can now be there for small heart patients at both locations; as close to their homes as possible, without unnecessarily long transport routes.» The departments would function perfectly and flawlessly.
Simone Keller, nursing expert at the Inselspital in Bern, was also on site for three weeks for «fine-tuning» in the intensive care units and neonatology. Together with colleague Pascale van Kleef from the Cantonal Hospital Graubünden, she focused on the care of patients who need respiratory support. What is the best way to monitor newborns, infants and children in critical condition? How does the technology work, what is important in positioning, secretion mobilisation and special feeding? The conditions in Cambodia are different from those here: «The climate is hot and humid, which is a challenge for hygiene, for example», says Simone Keller. Adopting a Swiss concept one-to-one is therefore not much use; the guidelines have to be adapted and optimised together. What impressed the nursing expert most was the palpable joy of working together – and the enthusiasm to learn new things. And: despite a lot of activity, thousands of treatments, countless admissions and discharges per day, there is a pleasant calm and attentiveness in the hospitals. «Doctors and nurses take their time and don't just run after the stressful daily routine – we could all take a leaf out of their book.»
