Mrs Kareen Dunlop1
1Consultant Nurse Educator, Perth, Australia
2Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
3Australian Orthopaedic Outreach, , Australia
4Rotary Clubs of Western Australia, Osborne Park and Applecross, Australia
Following the introduction of a successful joint replacement program, in 2015 the writer was implored to return to the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital (KSFH) in Phnom Penh to “help” them. The KSFH is the main referral hospital for the very poorest of patients in Cambodia.
Over a third of its post-operative patients died due to nosocomial infections. This required the understanding of what the blocks to improvement were and there were numerous. From a paucity and withholding of knowledge due to Pol Pots regime, to cultural and language barriers, the inability to find and afford resources and simply the how.
Over eight months a local operating theatre program and a national Infection Prevention and Control course was developed and taught whilst coaching the directors how to run a hospital. A nurse leadership team was established and mentored. This involved teaching them numerous skills such as how to write a job description, how to implement change using a quality improvement-based cycle, to in the last two years, how to reduce the transmission of Covid19.
Following many trips back and the implementation of various improvements such as hand hygiene, cleaning and laundry projects, there has been a 35% drop in nosocomial post-operative deaths. At the request of the Cambodian Ministry of Health the KSFH staff now teach throughout the country including the management of covid patients.
Overseas missions often requires long-term commitment, understanding and coaching on the “how” in a culturally sensitive manner.
Biography: Kareen Dunlop is a consultant nurse educator, naturopath and acupuncturist who has a long working history in the operating theatre, education and infection prevention and control. Originally from New Zealand and now residing in Perth, she has worked in Switzerland, England and the United States of America. In 2014 she volunteered to go to the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and establish total hip replacement surgery. Thence begun her love affair with the country and its people. She has been awarded two Paul Harris Fellowships for her work there.