NEWS
December 2024
A group of students from Teesside University who have recently been to Cambodia and their senior lecturer Graham Jones, who also leads trips with the charity Transform Healthcare Cambodia, will be donning their swimsuits and braving the freezing North Sea on Boxing Day.
They are taking part in the Boxing Day dip to raise funds for Roka Hospital in Battambang. We wish them luck!
You can support the cause at
gofundme.com
Donate to Boxing day dip in aid of Roka village and Hospital & THC, organized by Chelsea Rich
July 2024
In July, THC director and senior lecturer at Teesside University Graham Jones, accompanied by Teesside University lecturer Kristie Sowerby, took nine second year nursing students to Cambodia for the second-year nursing placement. The students included paediatric, adult and mental health nursing students.
The team spent two weeks at the Battambang Provincial Referral Hospital and Roka Community Hospital as well as rural areas. They delivered teaching to first year Cambodian nursing students, met the British Ambassador to Cambodia Dominic Williams who travelled to the area especially to meet the students and the hospital officials at Battambang and Roka hospitals, met local health officials and professionals, visited paediatrics and obstetrics and led teeth and hand hygiene sessions for young school children.
Graham met the director of the Cambodia Children’s Trust to further cement relationships for future working.
Dean of Cumbria University's School of Health Professor Karen Stansfield joined the trip for the second week and met hospital officials and professionals. The aim of Professor Stansfield’s visit was to explore future possibilities of nursing students from Cumbria University undertaking trips to Cambodia.
The experience was life changing for many of the students, who said:
“Thank you for the most beautiful experience. My heart will forever be with Cambodia.”
“Thank you for selecting me for the trip of a lifetime. This trip has not only changed my
nursing care/perspectives but has changed me as a person.”
“This is a trip I will never forget, and it really has changed my life.”
“No words can ever explain how grateful I am for this opportunity.”
“My perspective on life on life has changed and each day I will grow as an individual.”
June 2024
Dr Han Oudam ( Consultant Urologist and Deputy Director) and Miss Chiek Sivhour ( Director of Pathology services) from Battambang Referral Hospital, Cambodia are taking part in a Study tour for 2 plus weeks. The tour is sponsored by Transform Healthcare Cambodia and facilitated by many Clinicians from Lancaster Royal Infirmary (UHMBT) and Teesside University, North Tees Hospital, and James Cook Hospital
We are currently half way through the first week and the learning has been fantastic.
Dr Oudam has seen many aspects of the work of a Urologist in the UK. Many thanks in particular to Mr Colin Cutting and his team.
Miss Chiek Sivhour has been finding out about the many aspects of Pathology services from a range of clinicians. There has been particular interest in the accreditation processes.
Director Catherine Randall was able to show them around a Childrens Hospice.
Directors Paul Tynan and Jan Tynan have also been squeezing in snippets of information about the NHS and General Practice, as well as providing some cultural experiences such as a Park Run!
Next week THC Directors Graham Jones and Claire Young along with Dr Sue Jones will be offering a further variety of learning in the North East from the above Institutions.
May 2024
Congratulations to our respected colleague Dr Eng Samnang and his colleagues at Roka Referral Hospital, who have been awarded CPA1 (complementary package of care) status. Dr Samnang, who is director at Roka, has been described as a caring and dynamic leader which we agree with. We are honoured and delighted to work with him and his colleagues.
February 2024
A team of 7 volunteers including 2 directors from the board visited Battambang area again. The team worked on improving education in various areas including diabetes, hypertension, trauma management and for the first time mental Health (in particular childhood mental Health). The teaching occurred at the central hospital in Battambang and also 2 smaller peripheral hospitals at Roka and Ek Phnom. For the first time there was also some teaching in the community at a local school about basic health care. Generally considered a successful trip by all involved
January 2024
In its January 2024 trip Transform Healthcare Cambodia (THC) continued to cement its relationship with the HM Ambassador to Cambodia. The Teesside-based charity, Transform Autism Care Cambodia (TACC), established as a result of THC-facilitated visits to Cambodia, in agreement with professionals in Battambang, will visit the country in January each year to ensure their work is co-ordinated and complementary. THC is also developing a relationship with the Cambodia Children’s Trust. Working in partnership with the charity’s respected Cambodian health and care professionals is resulting in combined resources to tackle health and social care issues to benefit Cambodian people. THC’s relationship of mutual respect and trust with the Battambang Provincial Referral Hospital and its peripheral hospitals continues to flourish with UK and Cambodian professionals looking at ways services can be developed through training and education. For a full copy of the January 2024 trip email paul01thc@gmail.com
July 2023
Director Graham Jones leads a group of Student 2nd year Nurses mainly from Teeside University to Battanbang Referral Hospital and Roka Hospital. The financial and administrative support of Teeside University is much appreciated. They will be staying for a month observing and supporting local clinicians. Drs Kak Seila and Eng Samnang along with York Sottha have made them feel very welcome
May 2023
BRH medical director Dr Kak Seila and Roka Hospital director Dr Eng Sangnam visit the UK; the first UK visit since Covid. The pair visited healthcare settings on both sides of the A66 and returned to Cambodia with many ideas to discuss with their colleagues and assess education and training needs. There was an emphasis on administrative governance, systems, MDT's and computers with particular reference to Chronic Disease management and Palliative care. Some highly technical areas were also inspected.
November 2022
A small group of THC people went out in November to Battambang Cambodia. The purpose was to re-establish relations after the pandemic had made visits impossible since our last visit in February 2020 and plan ways forward.
As well as the "work" side of things the group were able to see and visit some of the cultural heritage and natural wonders of the area.
We were pleased to meet up with a French NGO that has similar aspirations to our own. We feel we can work collaboratively.
We had particular useful tours of the hospital and diabetic clinic. We were able to put together the bones of how a remote teaching via Zoom might work. The visit to the community hospital at Roka was particularly useful and we feel that the relationship here can go a long way.
Once again there was much reflection on our own part and a realisation of how lucky we are to be able to partake of these visits. A very rewarding trip!
July 2022
We had our AGM this month and there was a general feeling that the covid situation is beginning to return to normal. We decided to investigate the possibility of visiting Battanbang November 21st to 25th with a view to scoping how best to move forward.
We were sad to see Edwin Pugh and David Emery step down from the board. They have both been involved from the start and have given plentifully over the years.
Spring 2022
The charity entered into a collaboration with Battanbang Referral Hospital concerning the development of digital records. Battanbang are the first of eight hospitals in Cambodia to be put forward. We are most thankful for the support from Sarah Hanbridge from Christie Hospital and Hayley Grafton from the Royal Marsden.
April 2021
Unfortunately the continuing uncertainty surrounding Covid 19 means that we are unable to plan any trips to visit our Khmer colleagues at present. Earlier in the year we had hoped that a November visit might be possible. That currently looks unlikely as trips usually take several months of planning. We remain optimistic about a spring 2022 trip but are aware that Covid has created many twists and turns of fate. We are maintaining a list of people to contact once the situation looks more positive.
10 December 2020
We are delighted to see our Khmer colleagues moving into their beautiful new hospital in Battambang. Our friend and colleague York Sottha tells us intensive care and medicine have now moved in and surgery is likely to follow on next week. We can't wait to see you again, as soon as it's safe to do so.