Medical Service in Cambodia

Written by: WFWP Cambodia

On November 21, 2022, the Women’s Federation for World Peace Cambodia (WFWP Cambodia) carried out a medical service with a medical group from Japan and North America at the Koh Chreng Commune Post Health Center in Kratie Province. Besides the general free treatment and free medicine, the group continues to provide support for the purpose of improving iodine deficiency disorder, hypertension and diabetes in the region.

One significant aspect of this activity was that WFWP Cambodia worked with local medical staff of the area. In such remote areas doctors usually don’t stay at a health center. Instead, medical assistants and nurses provide medical care for the residents. In Koh Chreng Commune Post Health Center, too, there are two nurses working. WFWP Cambodia requested the nurses to get involved in a blood-glucose test and urine test for outpatients so that they can get an overview of the health status of the local residents, considering how many people are at risk for diabetes. Japanese nurses introduced local nurses how to use the testing devices. Once they get used to using them, they can detect diabetes patients at an early stage and can start to take care of them properly.

Among patients from the field of internal medicine, major complaints were mainly fatigue, headache and heartburn. From there, they could see that there was a lack of good quality protein sources in the area. They also found some severe cases of hypertension and diabetes, although such patients were not aware that they had such health problems. WFWP Cambodia helped these patients explore ways to solve such nutrition and lifestyle problems.

In the field of oriental medicine, patients were treated by acupuncture. Oriental medicine treatments appear to be effective for a variety of ailments, including mental disorders, if they are continuously provided. However, since there were so many orthopedic complaints this time, acupuncture was provided mainly to treat those with muscle and joint pain. 

Kratie Province is an inland province and the place where WFWP Cambodia conducted this medical service is further across the Mekong River. The transportation alone to reach the place took time. The medical service activity itself took about two and a half days and during that period, about 350 cases were treated. WFWP Cambodia will continue to follow up on these patients throughout the year.