Occupational Therapist (OT) volunteers in Cambodia

 

Alison Vargas evaluates her placement in Cambodia with Outreach International.

Introduction

I went out to Cambodia, looking for something different and exciting and I definitely got what I was looking for!  As a newly graduated occupational therapist, I was ready and raring to get stuck in on my project.  I was at the Kien Khleang (KK) centre for my first 6 weeks and then rotated to the Prey Veng (PV) centre in the province for the rest of my time.  I appreciated the opportunity to work both in Phnom Penh and in the province as it gave me an excellent insight into the two sides of life in Cambodia.

The Projects

KK was busy.  There were more patients and many staff with years of experience in treating a wide range of disabilities.  PV was very quiet and slow moving (it was harvest season), with younger physios who were all dedicated and eager to learn.  I spent this time mostly observing physio treatment and talking to staff and patients, developing an information leaflet on CP, occasionally treating a patient but most importantly trying to learn and understand how the centre worked and how the Cambodian work culture impacted on work ethics.  I don't think I could have ever have anticipated working in a place more different than the NHS!  The work pace is generally more relaxed and informal than you would get in the UK (an hour and half for lunch when most staff take a nap!). Patients came from far and wide to receive treatment at KK, some with appointments and some without.  Appointments would be made for either the morning or the afternoon - no specified time -but even then it wouldn't guarantee a patient turning up, especially as it was rainy season when transport from the province can be difficult and even the miniscule cost was too expensive for some people.  This tested my ability to be flexible!  I'm not really a person for rigid rules, regulations and protocols (especially when it's for management purposes rather than for the care of the patient) so I found myself thriving in an organisation where you were expected to be proactive, assertive and think outside the box.  At times I would find it difficult as I felt the need to be busy but I eventually came to adapt to the relaxed Cambodian work pace.

Working in Prey Veng was a completely different experience but just as enjoyable.  With a smaller team, I felt instantly welcomed and included within the centre.  I found that the patient population at PV was similar to KK but with a lesser influx of patients which were mainly people with amputations or congenital deformities.  However, there tended to be more patients staying for longer stints of rehab compared to KK, i.e. TBI and stroke, and I was able to be involved in some of their treatment.  My role as an OT here was limited due to a variety of reasons and I found myself taking on other roles at the centre like developing teaching sessions for the physios with another volunteer physio and helping to write patient biographies for the website.

My biggest challenge when working with the project was not patient related at all!  I was given the opportunity to be one of four speakers at the 9^th Congress of Cambodian Physical Therapists.  I was hesitant at first but then decided to do it - when would a new grad be ever be able to do this in the UK??!  I spent two months with another Outreach International volunteer and fellow OT, Becky Lambert, developing a presentation which would give an introduction to OT as a profession and also explain how physios could use some basic OT techniques in their treatments.  Unfortunately for us, we were told that this presentation was too complicated and I had three days to re-write it!  I had to give up on the idea of explicitly trying to promote my profession as this was not what they wanted to hear!  Instead I presented a simple guide to housing adaptations and I think it went OK!  It was during this congress that I learnt the reason why the Khmer physios struggled to understand OT as a separate profession.  This is because they are expected to do most types of therapy (including treatment), which in the UK we would classify as OT, under the vast umbrella term of 'physiotherapy'.

Overall, I found working at the project an unforgettable experience.  I have so much respect for the staff who are hard working despite the upcoming changes that will arise when the project is handed over to the government.  As an OT, it was always going to be a challenge to work in an NGO that specializes in physiotherapy and prosthetics and orthotics.  Depending on what you want from your placement, whether it's to experience working in a different culture or if it's to promote OT as a profession, will affect the amount of time you should spend in Cambodia.  For me it was both and three months weren't long enough (especially with the rotation)!  I learnt to accept that I was learning more than I was giving but hopefully somewhere in the three months I helped someone in some way.

Accommodation

I was really apprehensive about how I was going to find living with other people in the volunteer house as I had been living independently in UK. How would I cope with people who I didn't know, let alone share a room!  But things settled down pretty quickly, everyone bonded really well in the unfamiliarity of Phnom Penh and sharing a room didn't seem so bad after all. 

The house is well located in the south of the city, not too far from anything (I didn't expect PP to be so small!).  It felt really safe with a guard sleeping downstairs at night.  If you wanted to get around, most of the time there were the tuk tuk and moto drivers hanging around outside and speaking good English.  I tended to use these guys until I acquired my sense of direction and ability to say 'turn right/left' and 'stop' in Khmer.  Thewn I could use other random drivers!

Outreach's Coordinator

I only have very good things to say about SimonPower, Outreach's coordinator in PP.  Prior to arriving in Cambodia, I wasn't expecting to have much contact with my coordinator and thought that I'd be more or less fending for myself on a day to day basis.  I quickly came realize that Simon was someone you could truly rely on if you were ever in need.  Simon, with all his knowledge of PP and Cambodia as a whole, made my experience that little bit easier - from advice on the small things like where to eat, how to top up your phone credit, how much to pay for a moto journey, to the bigger issues like problems with placements, medical ailments and what to do when your favorite club gets towed away!  In a place as crazy and bizarre as PP, it was comforting to know that Simon was always at the end of the phone.  A genuinely caring and sensitive person, he's a real asset to Outreach.

Alison Vargas's placement in Cambodia was arranged with Outreach International

 

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