On 26th February, the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia hosted a signing ceremony for the grant agreement (the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects’ Funds) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Atsushi Ueno, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia, and Kazato Saeki, FIDR Cambodia Country Representative, signed the agreement.

With this grant, FIDR continues the Pediatric Surgery Project in Kratie Province under the title of “Project for Strengthening Community-based Surgical Care System in Northeast Cambodia”. The project will run for one year from 1st March 2025 to 28th February 2026). FIDR receives a budget of 245,872 US dollars (approximately 36.88 million yen).

So far, FIDR has helped people in the northeastern Cambodia ensure the appropriate and timely treatment and surgery at local healthcare facilities. Recently, we have focused not only on enhancing the skills of medical staff at the provincial hospital, but also on strengthening them at district hospitals and health centers, while reinforcing coordination among these institutions.

This new initiative will help us build stronger relationships with local residents and make it easier for them in accessing healthcare. The project’s core activities are as follows:

a) Promoting surgical care at the community level

1. Medical staff at district hospitals and health centers will enhance their knowledge of surgical conditions and enable timely and appropriate responses to their patients.

2. Awareness-raising activities will be conducted to encourage local residents to seek medical care without hesitation.

3. Referral networks among medical institutions in Kratie Province will be strengthened to ensure smooth patient transfer to specialist treatment.

b) Improving the quality of surgical care in hospitals

1. Medical staff in the provincial hospital will enhance their knowledge and skills to perform various surgical procedures and provide effective postoperative care.

2. A new anesthesia machine will be deployed to the provincial hospital. By establishing a hospital system that enables the utilization of two operating theatres concurrently, an environment enabling more patients to undergo surgery will be established.

The ongoing support from the Government of Japan for grassroots NGO work is a big encouragement for both FIDR staff and local medical members. The Director of Health from the health department in the province, the Hospital Director, and three surgeons from the provincial hospital attended the ceremony. Their serious expressions during the signing highlighted how important this moment was for them.

Moving forward, FIDR will keep working hand-in-hand with the local people to advance medical services.

The signing ceremony was reported in local newspapers and so on. You can view the reports via the links below.

1. a) Khmer Times: Cambodia News Home:

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501646062/japan-grants-to-boost-education-regional-healthcare/

1. b) Fresh News International:

https://m.en.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/en/localnews/58093-2025-02-27-03-39-56.html

1. c) Facebook (the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia)

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BNEPmZWtK/

Commemorative Group Photograph at the Signing Ceremony

Briefing the Activities by FIDR CR (far left) to the Japanese Ambassador (2nd from left)