Central Hospital And Exceed Cambodia Open Exceed Central Prosthetics And Orthotics Clinic
Central Hospital, in partnership with Exceed Worldwide Cambodia, jointly-launched the Exceed Central Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic on July 15, 2024, marking a new step forward in the hospital’s commitment to providing one-stop medical services.
Located on the second floor of Central Hospital in Phnom Penh, the clinic is equipped with modern prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) treatment facilities and is managed by Cambodian experts with extensive knowledge in the field.
The clinic offers a choice for persons with disabilities to seek quality P&O care in a private hospital where they can consult, design and purchase devices that suit their budget.
“It is another milestone in our hospital’s chapter and our team is striving relentlessly to offer the best healthcare for all Cambodians," remarked Sim Sovannara, Director of Central Hospital, at the opening ceremony.
“The inauguration of this clinic was made possible through a collaborative effort between Central Hospital, Exceed Worldwide Cambodia and the generous support of Australian Aid,” she added.
Ngov Kang, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health, also attended the opening ceremony where he noted the collaboration between Central Hospital and Exceed Worldwide Cambodia as a step in the right direction to making more quality medical care available for persons with disabilities.
He said,
This collaborative endeavour will improve healthcare accessibility to all Cambodians, ensuring everyone receives timely care. The new clinic represents a significant advancement in delivering comprehensive care and innovative solutions for people with mobility challenges, reinforcing the government’s dedication to a healthier and more inclusive Cambodia.
“We believe people with disabilities also should have a choice. For people with disabilities, health issues may result in long-term disability. Those people should have a choice in how they gain rehabilitation," added Sisary Kheng, Country Director of Exceed Worldwide Cambodia.
“This initiative is a demonstration project to learn from opportunities and transfer service from acute, to pre-habilitation, to rehabilitation and to full social inclusion for those who need rehabilitation services in Cambodia. We are also working within the public hospitals, mirroring their organisational structures, where some patients pay by themselves, some pay through insurance and some are free," she added.
Above all, we see in this model, sustainability, the ability to grow and thrive and reach more and more people with disabilities with the life-changing technology that moves them from dependence to contributing members of the family and society.
Services Provided At The Exceed Central Prosthetics And Orthotics Clinic
Exceed Worldwide has been working in Cambodia since 1989 with a mission to support persons with disabilities, restore mobility, and enable them to become independent contributors to society. With a focus on providing P&O services, the organisation has also established a School of Prosthetics and Orthotics where P&O technicians are trained.
Subsidised or fully private P&O services are available at the clinic in Central Hospital for those who can afford to pay, and profits from paid services are channelled to support free services for the most disadvantaged. Additionally, Central Hospital's location near the Central Market in Cambodia's capital makes it ideal and accessible for those seeking services.
The clinic provides a range of solutions for lower and upper extremity orthosis, supporting weak or deformed limbs, preventing or correcting deformity, spinal orthosis to support or immobilise the spine to relieve pain, and lower and upper limb prosthesis.
Growing Demand For Prosthetics And Orthotics Services In Cambodia
The demand pattern for P&O solutions in Cambodia is witnessing a change. Unlike in the past when the demand for rehabilitation services came from people affected by the civil war, the demographic has now changed with the Kingdom’s developing economy bringing new groups of service users, explained Chanvichet Kheng, Exceed Central Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic Manager.
“There is a growing demand for rehab services globally and our new initiative to establish clinics in public and private hospitals is part of the response to that growing demand," said Chanvichet.
While P&O services were previously provided in physical rehab centres, this new model, where we establish clinics inside hospitals and work as active partners and part of each hospital's clinical team, is representative of the new global drive to strengthen rehabilitation within healthcare to increase access to services.
“With the improvements in income and healthcare, more children with disabilities are surviving and require orthotic support for conditions such as cerebral palsy or scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Similarly, more older people are surviving illnesses such as stroke, heart disease or diabetes and also require orthotic support in some cases and prosthetic and assistive devices as a result of amputation in others.
“Sadly, often younger people are affected by road traffic accidents and lose limbs thus requiring our support with prosthetic devices. However, orthotic services can also be as simple as custom-made insoles – seemingly simple devices that can improve the quality of life significantly for someone with foot or leg pain,” added Chanvichet.
Undertaking A Multi-Sectoral Approach For Healthcare Service
Connor Floyd, Second Secretary for Development Cooperation, at the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh, noted that private sector participation is crucial to expanding essential health services to all Cambodians.
“Cambodia’s physical rehabilitation sector is currently undergoing reforms and changes to bring it in line with the modern and international standards. Complex structure reform like this requires strong and effective leadership from the government, as well as meaningful collaboration from civil society and the private sector. This hospital unit project truly demonstrates the fruits of collaboration and the Australian government is proud to support it,” said Floyd.
Sovannara further affirmed that venturing into the P&O segment was part of Central Hospital’s expansion strategy to create a one-stop centre to offer holistic patient care and persons with disabilities a chance to select their choice of treatment.
“As we cut the ribbon today, we symbolise not just the physical opening of doors but also the opening of possibilities. This clinic will serve as a beacon of hope for amputees, individuals with congenital limb differences and those in need of orthotic support. Here, they will find personalised care, innovative solutions and a pathway to reclaiming their independence. Together, we can break down barriers and empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives,” she concluded.
This article was adapted from a supplied press release.