In Cambodia, positive collaboration can be as rare as it is these days in the West. Yet, the second greatest success of Chenla since opening the new pediatric ward one year ago at Kratie Referral Hospital has been the collaboration achieved with the Ministry of Health System. It is second only to the 3,320 patients treated in the new inpatient and neonatal wards with hundreds of children’s lives saved.
From a donor perspective, when considering any non-profit, one must wonder if each dollar donated is used as effectively as possible. For children’s healthcare assistance like Chenla’s program, a few of the main questions frequently asked are whether the needs covered by donor funds can actually be paid for from within Cambodia, are the truly poor benefiting while the wealthier beneficiaries contributing their fair share and is there waste in the administrative and purchasing systems?
By partnering with Kratie Referral Hospital, relying almost exclusively on Cambodian staffing, and receiving medications, IV fluids, salary support and energy cost support from the Ministry of Health, Chenla Childrens Healthcare can safely answer that we are more highly cost efficient than other healthcare NGO’s working in Cambodia while at the same time achieving direct results in the poorest/neediest part of the country today.
A core part of Chenla Children’s Healthcare remains following the Health Equity Fund System and the new local Social Security Fund System. This allows all care for the poor to be free and for those families with more means to contribute their fair share towards their child’s care – all the while assuring that there is no barrier for any sick or injured child to be seen and treated very quickly and compassionately.
Chenla has come a long way since one year ago. The entire Chenla team is thankful to be able to serve the children in Kratie Province in eastern Cambodia. With growing collaboration and donor support we hope to be able to carefully expand our efforts in sustainable ways in other eastern provinces which remain much in need.
