Floating village, Tonle Sap Lake, #Cambodia

IMPACT's local partner, the Lake Clinic, takes healthcare by boat to people living in remote floating villages on the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. This is Steung Chrov.

Dr Michael Shepherd (a GP from Hastings in the UK) is a regular volunteer. Here he reflects on the challenges of reaching a village like Steung Chrov:

'The idea and vision of creating the Lake Clinic with the aim of bringing health care to isolated villages is impressive enough, but it is only when you actually get on the boat and go to the villages yourself that you realise the enormity of the task and what a huge amount has been done to get to this point.

The average daily income on the lake is less than one US dollar. The floating villages are very isolated and extremely deprived and impoverished and the process of delivering health care and the boat's weekly visit all had to be negotiated with the chief of each one and this involved multiple visits and uncertainties. Even the creation of a regular voluntary non profit making visit is not straightforward when it is being arranged, and sensibilities have to be acknowledged.

There are the weekly logistics of provisioning and refuelling the boat and also restocking all the medical equipment and medication. There is the uncertainly of whether the weather will permit the trip at all and this may not be known until the end of a one hour drive to Kampong Khleang from Siem Reap.

From Kampong Khleang it is a three hour boat ride to Moat Klas and a further hour on to Pek Chikrey and the following a day a further hour through the trees and lilies to Steung Chroy.

The usual medical team of a doctor nurse and midwife (and two volunteer health visitors who join the boat at Moat Klas) has had to be carefully thought out within the limited space of the boat. There are also regular volunteer dentists and occasional volunteer doctors. The mix of skills is designed to meet the objectives of the Lake Clinic which revolve around the three principles of prevention by medical intervention (immunisations, antenatal care, cure of morbidity inducing illnesses, and health promotion by nutritional and dietary education, hygiene and sanitation awareness, and the promotion of breast feeding.'

Thank you to another volunteer, Annette Wig, who is currently in Cambodia for the photo.

www.impact.org.uk