BECAUSE EVERY LIFE MATTERS
Our Health Sponsorship program is designed to cover medical treatments not covered by general Child Sponsorship. This goes above and beyond basic medical care including vaccines, dental care, and more serious medical cases. This often includes our Caseworkers picking up children and taking them to the dentist, accompanying children and in some cases a parent to the hospital for treatment. In the event that someone needs to stay in the hospital, a Caseworker may stay as well as meals are not provided to patients. Caseworkers will also pick up and buy medicine needed and train families in continuing care once home.
VACCINATIONS
Many children we work with have received only a few vaccines right after birth. We would like to close this gap and provide our children a full course of vaccinations according to Cambodian national immunisation program.
According to the WHO’s estimate, the prevalence of viral hepatitis B in Cambodia ranges between 5 and 10%. The one dose of hepatitis B vaccine given at birth does not provide enough protection from this potentially life threatening disease. Our goal is for all families participating in our sponsorship program to be tested on hepatitis B and then vaccinated, or referred to the local hospital.
DENTAL CARE
There is a misbelief among Cambodians that health of primary teeth is not as important, as they will soon be replaced by a new set of teeth. Hence, many children end up with painful swellings and rotten teeth before the age of 5. At ICF Cambodia children and parents are educated on importance of correct dental hygiene and influence of sugar in diet on dental health. We also provide dental treatment for sponsored children in partnership with a local dental clinic.
EMERGENCIES
We assist our sponsored families in medical emergencies by providing transportation to a hospital in Siem Reap, Battambang or Phnom Penh, covering the costs of treatment in the ICU or life-saving operations, buying necessary medicine, and staying to help provided meals in the hospital when necessary.