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X-Rays Referred to Veteran Radiologist Expert
One of the busiest Cambodian-owned hospitals in Phnom Penh is the
Polyclinic Aurore at 58-60 Street 114, near Sihanouk Boulevard.
The facility has 30 beds, divided between general medical, surgical
and maternity care.
In addition to inpatient care, the facility offers a variety of
diagnostic services, ranging from two x-ray machines through
mammography equipment, two ultrasound machines and a panoramic
dental scanner.
The hospital’s director-general, Dr My Samedy, is considered the
dean of radiology in Phnom Penh and many clinics refer x-rays to
him. He qualified in the mid-1950s and spent many years in hospitals
in Tokyo and Paris.
There are nine doctors regularly practicing in the hospital; all
have qualifications from Cambodia and most also trained in France.
Additionally, four midwives are employed and their years of
experience range from 20 to 40 years. All nurses are graduates of
the national nursing school in Phnom Penh.
Many medical conditions can be taken care of in Cambodia but often
Dr My Samedy and his staff refer people with cancer diagnoses to
facilities abroad. In cases such as this, he says, the government is
extremely cooperative and in most cases a passport can be arranged
in just two days and a visa in two hours.
But the happiest area in the hospital is the delivery floor, where
babies are born. Cambodian women prefer to take five days for their
lying-in although foreigners are more attuned to the two- or
three-day stay. Fees range from $120 to $200, $700 for a caesarean
delivery.
—Elizabeth Wright
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