Let's take a little trip back in time. Four years ago, on 14 April 2020, on the same day as the Khmer New Year and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the inauguration ceremony of the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU for short, took place. The staff, who had been trained months earlier, stood at the gates of this new place of hope that day. A small metal scroll table with fruit, chicken and incense adorned the brand-new entrance and was intended as a ritual to inaugurate this new place. Unfortunately, Dr Beat Richner was unable to witness this special day, as he had passed away two years earlier.
Let's fast-forward a little. To be more precise, to 4 November 2024, the day I entered the NICU department for the first time. A large, fully occupied room with 20 beds, which used to be used for washing bed linen, awaited me. As there are only a few well-equipped neonatal intensive care units in Cambodia overall and the Kantha Bopha Jayavarman VII Children's Hospital is free of charge for the children, a lot of children are transported there, which leads to overcrowding in the ward. The aim is to have more beds and another ward available in the future..
I was able to spend a total of two weeks on this ward. During this time, I gained a lot from the teaching I received and the rare diseases I saw. I have to admit that I struggled with the heat in the beginning. There is no air conditioning on this ward, only fans, so it sometimes got really warm under my gown. I couldn't forget to drink here.
For anyone who is not quite sure what a NICU is: This is where newborn babies are treated if they have one or more medical problems that require specific and supportive therapy. Reasons may include premature birth, low birth weight, respiratory diseases, infections or congenital malformations. The newborns are treated comprehensively with the most modern medical technology possible and qualified staff working around the clock.
During the first week, I was able to see the collaboration between Jean-Claude Fauchère, a Swiss pediatrician/neonatologist, and Cécile Keller, a Swiss neonatal intensive care expert, who were here on assignment, and the NICU staff with my own eyes. This co-operation and the willingness of the staff to learn new things made a positive impression on me.
For Cécile Keller and Jean-Claude Fauchère, the first week of November was already their fourth assignment in the NICU. They are a well-rehearsed duo who always come in pairs because they both know how important cooperation between nursing and doctors is and that this must be cultivated in order to be able to offer the best possible medicine. They are one of the exceptions, as many doctors are currently still working as soloists. In addition, Cécile Keller's teaching to the nursing team is very important in order to pass on her knowledge, such as the positioning of newborn babies, and to offer her help if there are any uncertainties or questions.
I found not only the interaction between Cécile Keller and the nurses or Jean-Claude Fauchère remarkable, but also the teamwork between Dr. Bunthong Sar and Prof. Dr. Jean-Claude Fauchère. Dr. Bunthong Sar is a passionate pediatrician and neonatologist who has been working at Jayavarman VII Children's Hospital with great dedication since 2018. He obtained his specialist qualification in neonatology after one year of training in France. In 2023, his work, innovative ideas and knowledge of new equipment led to his appointment as the official head of the neonatology department and he has already achieved a great deal in a short space of time.
Finally, two short statements from Dr. Bunthong Sar and Prof. Jean-Claude Fauchère, MD.
«I was introduced to Prof. Jean-Claude Fauchère in October 2022, who is now just Jean-Claude to me. I was so nervous the day I met him because our directors told me to be highly respectful to the professor, and I still do. He’s kind to me. That mission of Jean-Claude and Cécile was not their first. I was in charge of managing the whole mission, from translating Khmer, sharing my experiences and visions, recapitulating all of Jean-Claude’s lectures for everyone to every project that he requested us to complete after he went back to Switzerland. I’ve been keeping in contact with him through emails, asking him for help, advice and lectures.»
Dr. Bunthong Sar
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«The appointment of Dr. Bunthong Sar as head of neonatal medicine in Siem Reap is a stroke of luck for the sick newborns as well as for Cécile Keller and myself. As a leader, he combines a rare blend of the highest medical and interpersonal expertise. His never-ending drive to improve the care of sick newborns, as well as to introduce new diagnostic and therapeutic options and his enthusiasm for learning and teaching impressed us greatly. As a leader, he also has the gift of inspiring and involving an entire neonatology team of doctors, nurses and obstetric specialists in this development. He has achieved so much with all his staff in a very short space of time and has enormously improved the quality of treatment for sick newborn babies. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to work with him and his team.»
Prof. Jean-Claude Fauchère, MD
Nice to know. By the way: Jayavarman VII was one of the most powerful kings of the Khmer Empire and achieved a great deal during his reign (1181-1220). Among other things, he had many hospitals built. Kantha Bopha was a daughter of the former King Sihanouk. She died of leukemia at the age of four.
Best regards from Siem Reap
Morgane
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