Enhancing Healthcare across Borders

In a ceremony officiated by Dr Te Kuy Seang, Secretary of State, Cambodia Ministry of Health, SIF, Calmette Hospital and SingHealth signed an MOU which will enable more Singaporean and Cambodian healthcare professionals to promote knowledge and skills transfer for the enhancement of thousands of lives in the community. These include the areas of Mother & Child Care, Emergency Care and Trauma & Orthopaedic Care.

The signing coincided with the official closing of the three-year SIF-Calmette Hospital Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Specialist Training Project, which was powered by the expertise and support of SingHealth volunteers. From an original target of 50, the project trained 558 Cambodian doctors, nurses and physiotherapists in techniques to help patients recover from surgery. The project also served as a platform for many of these healthcare professionals to come together for the first time and take an integrated approach to caring for patients, as well as to train their peers and cascade the impact beyond the core group.

“SIF, Calmette Hospital and SingHealth alike feel that we should not end our collaboration with the project but continue to form closer collaborations and exchanges of ideas and resources for the coming years ahead,” stated SIF Governor Mr Lian Wee Cheow who spoke at the ceremony.

SIF and SingHealth have enjoyed a strong partnership where in the past six years, SingHealth sent more than 200 medical professionals to participate in 19 SIF projects. The combined efforts of both organisations have positively impacted thousands of lives in seven countries thus far, with very tangible results. For example, following SIF’s Paediatric Emergency project in Cambodia, the infant mortality rate at the National Paediatric Hospital fell from 57 to 30 percent in 2012. Such encouraging results have spurred both organisations to strengthen collaborations in developing communities.

“With this collaboration and support in enhancing the content and technique (of healthcare delivery), we hope to see the successful and improved treatment of our Cambodian people,” stated Professor Kong Sonya, Deputy Director General, Calmette Hospital, in his speech at the ceremony.

Added Associate Professor Chua Yeow Leng, Group Director, International Collaboration Office, SingHealth: “The Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Specialist Project is a stellar example of the collaboration between our three parties. It has played a strong role in developing the friendship between Singapore and Cambodia.”

These impressions of the SIF-Calmette Hospital-SingHealth MOU signing ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, are contributed by SIF staffer Charlene Poon.