Poster Presentation: A Model for Sustainable Anesthesia Care in a Resource-Scarce Setting: Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap Cambodia-A Model for Sustainable Anesthesia Care in a Resource-Scarce Setting: Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap Cambodia

A Model for Sustainable Anesthesia Care in a Resource-Scarce Setting: Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap Cambodia

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The document presents a detailed comparison of anesthesia workforce and surgical care between Cambodia and the USA. Specifically, it highlights the stark differences in the availability of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in both countries. Cambodia, with a population of 16.77 million, has 1.69 anesthesiologists and 2.10 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 people, while the USA, with a population of 333.3 million, has a significantly higher density of 15.88 anesthesiologists and 16.76 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 people.<br /><br />The document highlights the ongoing challenges in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Cambodia, where only a small percentage of surgical procedures are performed despite the high need, leading to catastrophic expenditures for many individuals. It references the devastating impact of Cambodia's civil war from 1975 to 1979, which severely diminished its healthcare workforce, leaving fewer than 50 physicians after the Khmer Rouge regime.<br /><br />A key focus of the document is Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which has developed a model for sustainable anesthesia care under resource-scarce conditions. The hospital aims to provide high-quality, cost-efficient anesthetics, increase the number of nurse anesthetists, and enhance their clinical and didactic training to improve access to surgical care.<br /><br />The accomplishments of the AHC anesthesia team are noted, including receiving the Health Volunteers Overseas Golden Apple Award in 2020 for their contribution to teaching nurse anesthetists. Since 2004, over 100 HVO volunteers have supported the professional development of AHC's nurse anesthetists through workshops, curriculum development, and collaborations with institutions like the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh and Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok.<br /><br />The document underscores the significant disparity in surgical and anesthetic resources between high-income countries and LMICs and emphasizes the efforts and progress made by AHC in addressing these gaps.

Keywords

anesthesia workforce

surgical care

Cambodia

USA

anesthesiologists

nurse anesthetists

Angkor Hospital for Children

low and middle-income countries

healthcare disparities

civil war impact