11th to 24th of August 2018
Writer: Ted Mlynarz
“Our work has a greater impact than we may ever know”
Humanitarian organisations all over the world are providing for the poor and needy in many different ways. The work they do is never ending, with poverty and suffering existing in every corner of the world.
Australian Health Humanitarian Aid (AHHA) has been engaged in charitable work since 2003 and has impacted on the lives of many people who otherwise would not be in a position to receive life changing treatment. These people can again become active members of their communities.
The annual AHHA Field Trip commenced on the 11th August and continued till the 24th August 2018, visiting both Cambodia and Vietnam. Just after midnight on the 11th August a group of volunteers flew out from Melbourne headed for Phnom Penh with the Sydney contingent assembling at Sydney airport at 5:30 am to join them. Volunteers from South Australia, Queensland and New Zealand also departed for Cambodia from their respective locations.
Over 100 volunteers participated during the 2018 Field Trip in various activities including eye surgery, dental treatment and humanitarian work. The entire mission could have been a logistics nightmare, however, due to prior preparation and assistance from our partners in Cambodia (Khmer Sight Foundation - KSF) and thanks to the hard-working volunteers, equipment was assembled and supplies arranged to commence operations.
Donated equipment of a bulky and/ or heavy nature was shipped to Cambodia in advance of the mission. A special note of appreciation to HAI SON Shipping & Transport Pty Ltd, Revesby NSW for their support and arranging for shipping the equipment.
As was experienced during the 2017 field trip, when flying into Phnom Penh, due to severe monsoonal rains the land was saturated and extensive flooding was visible. The transport of patients from outlying areas became a concern. This concern was soon alleviated with large numbers of prescreened patients being presented.
EYE / CATARACT
Eye surgery took place at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh.
The operating theatre was prepared on Sunday 12th August and all was in readiness for eye surgery to commence on the Monday.
Screening of patients had taken place over many months by AHHA’s Cambodian partner, Khmer Sight Foundation (KSF), volunteers. During February 2018, a small contingent of AHHA volunteers travelled to isolated villages in the Kampong Speu Province to conduct screening with KSF. 120 families were examined and each family was presented with a Water Filter Kit.
Patients were transported to the hospital for registration and admission, as would happen in any hospital in Australia.
This was followed by preparation for medical examination and optometry testing to determine the extent of the patient’s condition and fitness for surgery.
Eye surgery commenced on Monday with 498 cataract operations being undertaken over the time of the mission.
| Patient Screened | 910 |
| Eye Operations | 498 |
DENTAL TEAM
The AHHA Dental Team was located at the University of Puthisastra Dental Clinic in Phnom Penh.
As with the Eye team, the Dental team set up on Sunday 12th August in readiness for an influx of patients on Monday. These mainly consisted of Special Needs and Orphaned children.
As the patients arrived, it was noticed that some of the disabled children were using old and dilapidated wheelchairs. Soon, the AHHA volunteers collected sufficient funds to enable the purchase of new wheelchairs which were presented to the patients upon completion of their treatment.
The Dental Team screened 756 patients and carried out 2008 treatments.
| Patient Screened | 756 |
| Dental Treatments | 2008 |
HUMANITARIAN
Apart from Eye surgery and Dental treatment, AHHA undertakes involved Humanitarian activities.
Several trips to isolated and outlying villages took to distribute Water Filter kits together with Food Parcel, Sunglasses and Eye Drops.
Villages visited included one in Kandal Province which is simply referred to as Village No 9. To reach this village, volunteers had to transfer to smaller and local means of transport. This was mainly due to monsoonal flooding and the isolation.
Other villages visited were St Mary Magdalane Church at Svay Pak, Russekeo just outside of Phnom Penh and Prek Prang Noodle, a floating village requiring local boats to transport the volunteers.
During the 2018 field trip, 2000 Water Filter Kits and Food parcels were distributed together with 660 Sunglasses and 300 Lubricating Eye Drops.
| Water Filter Kits | 2000 |
| Food Parcels | 2000 |
| Sunglasses | 660 |
| Lubricating Eye Drops | 300 |
TRAINING SEMINARS
Over recent missions, AHHA has arranged and undertaken training seminars for local medical professionals and university students. As well as conducting the seminars in Ophthalmology and Dental procedure, the Cambodian volunteers consisted of university students who worked close with AHHA doctors, surgeons and dentists providing interpreter services.
The Ophthalmology Seminar was attended by 105 local participants while the Dental Seminar attracted 80 local dentists and university students.