Press Release: Opening Ceremony of Delivery/ Waiting Rooms and Health Center

Opening Ceremony of Delivery/ Waiting Rooms and Health Center

October 3, 2018

Kompong Thom, Cambodia

October 3, 2018 will be a very exciting day for the people of Tumring, Socheat, and Chheu Teal Communes in Sandan District, Kampong Thom province.

Two standalone labour and delivery room buildings and a health center with a labour/delivery room suite will be officially opened.  The buildings were constructed by ADRA Cambodia through the Enhancing Mother/newBorn/child health in Remote Areas through health Care & Community Engagement (EMBRACE) and HELP Health Center Construction projects.

EMBRACE began in February 2016 and is focused on improving the health of mothers and children living in remote regions of Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, and Rwanda.  Over the course of its four year lifespan it will serve an estimated 100,000 people, of which about one third are children.

EMBRACE is also raising public awareness of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) within Canada.

Within Cambodia, the EMBRACE project targets 168 communities in the Choam Khsant, Chey Saen, Rovieng, and Sandan districts and is directly improving the lives of approximately 39,990 people.

EMBRACE focuses primarily on improving and saving the lives of women of reproductive age, newborns, and children under five.  These objectives are achieved through health and nutrition behavior change, communication, and the empowering of staff and systems in health clinics. Building and equipping these labour rooms, delivery rooms, and the health center is key to this empowerment. The labour rooms reduce the risks for pregnant women by providing a space for them to stay before and after their delivery.

At March 2018, the percentage of mothers and pregnant women screened for warning signs related to the pregnancy, delivery, or health of child or mother and then referred to health centers or hospitals increased from 27.3% to 45.5%.  Referral and screening for pregnant women and girls and boys (U5) screened for malnutrition increased from 15.0% to 44.2% for girls and from 9.7% to 43.9% for boys. These new facilities will further help to improve these percentages.

The opening ceremony for all of these buildings will be conducted in one place at the new Health Center in Khors village, Tumring Commune.

The standalone delivery/waiting rooms are located at Sandan Health Center, Sandan Village, Sandan Commune and at Chheu Teal Health Center, in Kampong Taben village, Sandan district, Kampong Thom Province and were built by ADRA Cambodia through the EMBRACE project.  The new Health Center building with the delivery waiting room included in the main building is located at Khors village, Tumring Commune and was built in partnership with HELP Health Center Construction.  This includes ring wells, incinerators and equipment.

Approximately 500 persons will be present at the inauguration ceremony of the health center and delivery waiting rooms, including His Excellency Sok Lou, the Governor of Kampong Thom Province, Governor, Deputy Governors and officials around Sandan district, Kampong Thom Provincial Health Department Director, Kampong Thom Operational District, and Health Center Chief, Ms. Allison ​Stewart, Chargé d’affaires, Cambodia Office of the Embassy of Canada, Mr. Frank Spangler, representative from ADRA Canada, Mr. Mark Schwisow, Country Director of ADRA Cambodia, ADRA Cambodia project team members as well as students and community members from Tumring, Sochet and Chheu Teal Communes.

EMBRACE is funded by a partnership between the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and ADRA Canada.  It is being implemented in Cambodia by ADRA Cambodia.