Community care in Cambodia

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Tags: Health Sciences, international, nursing, winter-2012

Leselle Hermann conducts a health assessment at the Military Handicap Development Centre

Landmine injuries and tropical illnesses do not typically present in a Brisbane hospital ward, but are all too common in Cambodia, as a group of UQ students recently discovered first-hand.

Thirteen students and two clinical staff left Australia in early January and spent four weeks in Cambodia, rotating between the Military Handicap Development Centre (MHDC) and the village of Krabei Riel in the country’s north-west.

The International Community Health Placement program is run through the School of Nursing and Midwifery and is open to second and third-year students.

This is the third year the school has run the program, and for many students, it was their first trip overseas.

Clinical lecturer Peta Crompton said being immersed in a different culture while experiencing a vastly different approach to clinical practice was invaluable.

“Given the history of the area, the Military Handicap Development Centre was where the students treated many returned soldiers, their wives and children as well as local villagers,” Ms Crompton said.

“Students also provided health education and promotion to adults and children within the school and community health centre.”

Student Leselle Hermann weighs a baby at the Krabei Riel Clinic

Prior to undertaking the placement, the students raised just over $9000.

Funds were used to purchase medication and supply more than 300 kits to children and families, which contained blankets, mats, mosquito nets, buckets for water storage, water pumps, and kitchen utensils.

“In previous years the funds raised by the students built a playground for the children, and a community kitchen for families and community members,” Ms Crompton said.

Nalani Cooper, who is completing a Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery dual degree, said she wanted to “make a difference, small or large, in a country that is much less fortunate than our own”.

“It was interesting to listen in on patient-doctor consultations and to learn how to provide health care with limited resources and across cultural and language barriers,” she said.

“The skills I gained in Cambodia are invaluable and will help me to become a better healthcare professional. The experience is something that I will never forget.”

Bachelor of Health Sciences student Krishneel Kumar said he saw similarities between the situation in Cambodia and his home country, Fiji.

“I wanted to see whether what I’d learned at UQ was applicable,” he said.

“The experience was eye-opening, but also frustrating.

“You could give nutrition advice, but you knew the people were unlikely to be able to afford nutritious food.”

During the placement, students got an authentic taste of life in Cambodia – they stayed with local families and travelled by bullock cart.

They also took in the sights of the iconic Angkor temples, visited the capital Phnom Penh to see the markets, the royal palace, the S21 Prison and the infamous Killing Fields.

Staff member Peta Crompton and the Minister of Defence present a certificate of appreciation to the Military Handicap Development Centre

“To conclude the placement, an official closing ceremony was held with the Cambodian Minister of Defence, who travelled all the way from the capital to thank and acknowledge the efforts of the students,” Ms Crompton said.

“All of the students who travelled to Cambodia in 2012 were extremely humbled and grateful for the chance to contribute their new skills to help others who are less fortunate, and many of the students would like to return.”

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