Bringing Health to Impoverished Communities

Not all angels have wings. Some have stethoscopes.
And others offer their hands and feet as tools of help.

Close to 40 angels travelled from Singapore to Cambodia in November/December 2017 to provide health screening to the children in Sangkhim Canaan School and the HAGAR Community Learning Centre, and working adults in the care of HAGAR Cambodia. These angels came on the wings of an airplane and spent 4 days conducting assessments and educational classes for more than 700 individuals.

The team came from Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church and other churches to provide this service that will help to identify any health concerns and chart the physical development of kids as they grow. Besides the healthcare professionals which comprised doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, paediatricians, dentists, and audiologists, the team was also assisted by a group of volunteers who availed their hands and feet to serve the local needs.

Working alongside the team from Singapore were also local (Cambodian) doctors and dentists, who were former HAGAR beneficiaries and are now paying it forward. They performed no less than their counterparts from Singapore and even doubled up to help with translation when their colleagues needed to have a further understanding of their patient’s background and medical history.

Together with their parents, there were also 4 kids from Singapore who wanted to help out too. Their willingness to have a part in the work helped to ease the Cambodian kids who were nervous about having to undergo a health screening, with many not knowing what to expect and some of the younger ones were even frightened to tears. Linking arms, it was a beautiful sight to see the kids caring for one another and playing together despite the language barrier.

Following up on this health screening, the local healthcare professionals will take over to conduct further referrals, and coordinate treatment plans for those as required. Other than those who require head lice treatment, a number of kids are suffering from malnutrition and looking too small for their age. For some special cases, further assessments would be required at a proper healthcare facility for a clear diagnosis of their condition and the treatment needed.

To the team from Singapore and even the Cambodian locals who was part of the screening team, thank you for giving your precious time to care for the underprivileged and impoverished community groups. Your love was evidently felt as you gave of yourself and spent time patiently understanding each individual who passed your way.