I’ve just returned from one month in Cambodia. It’s encouraging to see the progress we’ve made since Speech Therapy Cambodia began in 2013.
Working with our Cambodian sister organization, SSTC, we are now enabling Cambodians to create new systems within their cultural context, working with them to make sure that this new medical service is sustainable and that eventually our profession can become established in Cambodia.
On this visit, I spent time with the 15 dysphagia (swallowing) clinicians we have trained in the three hospitals, and with our two experienced speech therapists—Paula Espinosa and Annie Johnson—who provide ongoing training and clinical supervision.
With teams of dysphagia clinicians in each of our three hospitals, we are closer to ensuring that all stroke and head-injured patients are referred for swallowing screenings and for more extensive evaluation if needed. These dedicated teams of young doctors, nurses, and PTs are truly making a difference at their respective hospitals.
Credit for this work goes to Paula and Annie, and to Veasna, SSTC executive assistant. We are lucky to have such outstanding people on the team!
Betsy with Seakly (left) and Lamy (right)