PROJECT CHHNANG TRIP 2025
- Medsoc PnP
- Sep 23
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 2
From 10 - 14 June this year, a team of 6 LKC students consisting of 3 M1s and 3 M2s went to Kampong Chhnang province in Cambodia as part of OCIP Project Chhnang. We continued our partnership with the Water and Healthcare Foundation (WAH) which serves the community in Kampong Chhnang.
This year, we served 3 health centres and 6 schools through sharings on medical and health topics based on guidelines from Singapore's Health Promotion Board. Due to the language barrier, the staff from WAH and the Provincial Health Department kindly offered to serve as translaters!
We set off for the health centres in the early morning, rising especially early to travel to the more inaccessible health centres. These health centres were staffed mainly by nurses, pharmacists and midwives, and lacked doctors. The healthcare workers do not receive any regular upskilling other than from WAH, especially since some were so rural and only accessible by boat. We first revised with the staff the seven steps of hand hygiene, specially emphasising the importance of hand hygiene for infection control.
We then shared about how to have a balanced diet through the “My Healthy Plate” model and good dietary practices (such as consuming less oil, salt and sugar). We were touched when the Cambodian healthcare workers showed eagerness to learn more and asked many questions about adult nutrition. Then, we shared more in depth about infant nutrition practices in Singapore. This included exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months, weaning, common nutrition deficiency amongst children in Cambodia and food that were high in these nutrition. We were grateful to be able to share such knowledge with the workers as malnutrition is a pressing issue in rural areas of Cambodia. This is due to the lack of knowledge and hence intake of nutritious food. We also provided an example of a monthly calendar to illustrate how solid foods can gradually be introduced into the baby’s diet. We were reassured when they shared that the infant nutrition guidelines in Cambodia aligned with Singapore's guidelines.
As alcoholism is also a concern for the community in Cambodia due to the culture of drinking beer during social gatherings, we also shared with the healthcare workers about the short-term and long-term effects of alcoholism, especially the possible irreversible effects on the brain and liver. Showing images of the damage to the body aimed to help the staff visualise the toxic effects of alcohol. Many healthcare workers seemed very intrigued by our sharing as they might not have heard much about the consequences of consuming alcohol.
Finally, we demonstrated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich manoeuvre in the context of drowning and choking, which are common health emergencies in the region. We also encouraged them to practice CPR on the mannequin we brought, as well as Heimlich manouevre on each other. Most of them had not learnt CPR or had not revised CPR for years, so it was helpful the hands-on practice was especially helpful for them to learn or revise.
After the fruitful sharings at the health centre, we headed to primary schools. We shared with the students there the importance of having good body hygiene, including the seven steps of handwashing and dental hygiene. We made use of interactive methods such as inviting the children to demonstrate at the front of the classroom together with us. Additionally, we made use of large teeth models for them to better visualise how to properly clean their teeth.
While the full days of work were tiring for us, we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to share our knowledge with the staff and students, especially when they expressed their gratitude. We are also extremely thankful for the hospitality of WAH and for giving us valuable opportunities to expand our awareness on healthcare issues faced in rural areas. We concluded our service learning part of the trip with a visit to the Kampong Chhnang Hospital, one of only three hospitals in Kampong Chhnang. We learnt about the healthcare conditions there and also had an opportunity to view a live birth!
Thereafter, we headed back to Phnom Penh for 2 days of RnR for a time of cultural appreciation and team cohesion! We visited famous sites such as the Royal Palace of Cambodia, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Russian market. We also took leisurely strolls and stopped at several cafes.
Overall, it was a fun and meaningful trip to Cambodia, and we are excited to plan and go for our upcoming trip in June 2026!
