King Norodom Sihamoni with Archbisho Salvatore Pennacchio, Bishop Schmitthaeusler Olivier, Mrg. Kike and the staff at Takeo Eyes Hospital
TAKEO— King Norodom Sihamoni has opened a new wing of the Catholic-run Takeo Eye Hospital here in southern Cambodia.
“This is a new achievement in accordance with the development strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia,” the King said at the opening ceremony on April 6.
The building was completed on Feb. 19 with funding from various Church agencies in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the local government.
The hospital was first opened in 1997 by Maryknoll missioners and had 42 beds. However, daily overcrowding prompted Caritas Cambodia, the local Church’s social service agency, and Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul congregation to start the expansion project.
“With the new building, we now have 67 beds, four operating theaters, where we can conduct surgery on 20 to 30 patients a day with more than four specialist doctors and 28 professional nurses,” Doctor Sarin said.
Sister Myrna Porto, project director of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, said the hospital provides the same service to poor and rich patients, but the poor get their treatment free while the rich have to pay. “In the name of God, we want to provide dignity for all people.”
In Cambodia, blindness is prevalent among people over 50. Major causes of blindness are cataracts, corneal scaring and glaucoma.
Caritas eye hospital gives hope to the poor.
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