Save The Children’s Surgical Centre – A Cambodian Legend

Thanks for visiting our fundraising page for CSC! The CSC is a unique hospital in Cambodia that provides free surgery to children (and adults) who otherwise could not afford treatment and is solely funded by charitable giving from people like you!

 

A series of political upset (hong kong riots) , natural disasters in australia and now a global COVID pandemic has sent global stock markets tumbling and many international donors that have previously kept this great institution going have now disappeared. CSC has already lost half a million dollars of its usual annual budget and as a result the heart of this hospital - the staff have had to accept pay cuts of over 50% to keep the service running on on a reduced scale.

As a parent and a surgeon I believe every child should have access to universal, safe surgery and the best chance to experience a full life, free of disability and pain. Without urgent help there will not be a CSC to serve the population of Cambodia.

About the CSC

To understand the vital role CSC plays in the Cambodian healthcare system we need to look at the modern history of Cambodia. Most people are loosely aware of the Cambodian genocide, one of the darkest times in living memory. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge gained control of Phnom Penh. Intellectuals were amongst those targeted for execution and almost 2 million (20% of the population) Cambodians lost their lives.

Prior to 1975, Cambodia had 530 doctors, 3400 healthcare students, 150 medical instructors and 19 professors. Four years later the Khmer rouge fell after liberation by the Vietnamese. At this time a mere 32 doctors remained (only 2 of which were surgeons) and 20 of these doctors immediately fled the country when the borders were reopened.

The genocide left a legacy of decimated medical services, destroyed educational infrastructure, significant disability and injury from the war and on-going casualties from one of the most heavily landmined countries in the world. The Halo trust estimates 64,000 deaths and 25,000 amputations have been performed due to landmine injuries alone since 1979 in Cambodia. This compounds the issues already faced by low income countries.

It is estimated that 85% of children in low-income countries require treatment for a surgical condition by the age of 15 years. Many surgical conditions of childhood are amenable to simple surgical intervention, but if left untreated, complications, lifelong disability or death can ensue.

After working with The Red Cross in Cambodia Dr Jim Gologly a British-American orthopaedic surgeon moved to Cambodia and established CSC in 1998. CSC provides free surgical care for any comers (not just children) covering ophthalmology, ear, nose & throat, plastic and orthopaedic surgery. The CSC employs over 120 local khmer staff and is responsible for the surgical training of local residents. It has provided over 70,000 free surgeries (not including eyes) and some surgeries such as brachial plexus surgery and deformity correction using ring fixators are only performed in this institution for the whole of Cambodia.

There is no publicly funded healthcare system in Cambodia and this institution really is a lifeline for so many patients who otherwise cannot afford healthcare.

To make matters worse the land CSC was ‘gifted’ by the government has now been sold to a Chinese investor and CSC will have to move and pay for a new hospital to be built.

Having worked at CSC and seen first hand the difference this institution makes to the lives of local Cambodians I am devastated that the CSC and its staff are under such financial distress.

A team from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool is going to attempt to walk, run and cycle the distance from Alder Hey to CSC – 12,533 Km by the 5th of August.

We appreciate that there high demand for charitable donations at this time but by funding CSC you provide a lifeline to a country still struggling to find itself after a truly devastating revolution.

If you want to know more about CSC a BBC documentary called "Cambodia Surgical Ward" in 2010 is readily available on YouTube.

More information can also be found at csc.org

Thanks for taking the time to read this, please donate if you can!

Sara