Vietnamese doctors have begun giving free treatment at a Phnom Penh hospital to poor Cambodian children suffering from polio, earning the Vietnamese praise for their humanity and generosity from cash-strapped Phnom Penh authorities. Eight Vietnamese volunteer doctors are involved in the five-day program at Phnom Penh Municipal Referral Hospital, examining and operating on polio sufferers under the age of 16.
The program was instigated after repeated requests for assistance for polio patients from hospitals and the Cambodian government. Praising the generosity of the Vietnamese doctors at the program's opening ceremony yesterday, Dr. Veng Thai, director of the Phnom Penh Municipal Health Department, said the program is being run in seven Phnom Penh districts, treating a total of 190 children.
"Within the five days, 50 children will be operated on by the Vietnamese specialists," he said, adding that they are having to limit the number of patients receiving surgery because polio operations are extensive, complex and time consuming.
Dr. Le Duc To, deputy director of the Association for Disabled Children in Ho Chi Minh City, is the leader of the team of volunteer doctors. "In the past, my Ho Chi Minh City staff have seen many Cambodian children with polio coming to receive medical treatment in Vietnam, and having to face a lot of traveling difficulties and financial problems," he said. Phnom Penh Deputy Governor Chuop Khun also spoke at the ceremony, which was conducted in the presence of the Vietnamese ambassador to Cambodia.
"This [program] for disabled Cambodian children is a great humanitarian gesture and reflects the concern Vietnamese leaders and people have for Cambodians," he said. There is also a plan to send more Vietnamese doctors to give free medical treatment in Siem Reap province early next year.
This article first appeared in The Mekong Times
The Mekong Times is a daily newspaper distributed in Cambodia.
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