As Mission Ends, Hundreds More Treated in Cambodia

It was a busy day at Kandol Dom Primary School in Kampung Speu, Cambodia. Free medical services including optometry, dental, pediatrics, and general medicine were made available to the public. Six Project HOPE volunteers from Pacific Partnership 2012 were there to help with patient care.

While nearly 1,000 people waited in line to be seen by the medical team, Project HOPE had a volunteer in almost every department.

Dr. Earl Wellington, a HOPE volunteer from Harlingen, Texas, worked in the Adult Medicine Department. He had this to say about the medical site.

“It was well organized. I was able to order medicine quickly and move patients through at a steady pace. I am enjoying the patients that we are seeing. They are very gentle and most of them have very serious medical conditions that I am glad to help them out with.”

Allison Courtney, a volunteer from Seattle, Washington helped by moving patients around the medical site. With a large smile, she was excited to be working with the local people.

“We were able to see close to 580 patients on our first day out here, and today it is running even smoother,” said Courtney. “The people of Cambodia are very humble which is refreshing to see.”

Cambodian born Pech Carson, a volunteer from Key Largo, Florida, has just returned to Cambodia for the first time since leaving the country in 1979. She is learning more about herself with each passing day at the medical site.

“It has been going very smoothly. I am remembering more of the language and am able to talk to the patients I am seeing,” said Pech. “I have been very grateful for the help I am giving them, and some of them are asking to stay in touch with me when I get back to the States.”

Pacific Partnership’s four-country mission ended with more than 23,500 patients cared for, nearly 750 surgeries performed and more than 10,000 health education encounters.