On 17th February, 2026, the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia hosted a signing ceremony for a grant agreement under the "Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The agreement was signed by H.E. Atsushi UENO, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Mr. Kazato SAEKI, Country Representative of FIDR Cambodia.

“The Project for Strengthening and Expanding Surgical Care in Northeastern Cambodia” is implemented as part of the initiatives in the Pediatric Surgery Project in Kratie Province led by FIDR, and is supported by the grant of 316,484 USD (approximately 47 million yen). This new phase will run for one year from March 2026 to February 2027.

Since 2017, FIDR has helped people in northeastern Cambodia access appropriate and timely surgical treatment at local healthcare facilities. In the coming year, we will focus on establishing the core of regional health care in Northeastern Cambodia. In addition to enhancing the skills of medical staff at the provincial hospital, we will also extend our support to district referral hospitals and health centers in remote areas as follows:

1. A) Promote Surgical Care at the Community Level

• Capacity Building: Enhance the knowledge of health center staff and health volunteers (Village Health Support Group: VHSG) about surgical symptoms to ensure appropriate patient referrals.
• Community Awareness:  Educate local residents on seeking timely medical care without hesitation, while promoting the necessity of follow-up visits after treatment or surgery to ensure a successful recovery.
• Network Expansion: Strengthen collaboration between primary healthcare facilities and the Kratie Provincial Referral Hospital (KPRH) for more efficient consultations and patient transfers, while extending KPRH's services to hospitals across Northeastern Cambodia.

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2. B) Improve the Quality of Surgical Care in Hospitals

• Skill Development: Conduct technical training sessions for provincial hospital staff to improve their knowledge and skills in surgical care.
• Hygiene Management: Prioritize improvements in hygiene practices and infection control.
• Advanced Medical Equipment: Provide a C-arm machine to the KPRH to enable surgeons to visualize live fluoroscopic images of bones and internal structures during surgery.
  
  

The Vice Director of the Provincial Health Department and the Vice Director of the KPRH also attended the signing ceremony. The provision of this grant has further strengthened the commitment of their medical team at KPRH, who have consistently strived to provide higher-quality healthcare services, and FIDR staff, who have played a role in coordination and operational support. Moving forward, FIDR will continue to work hand-in-hand with medical staff, health officials, and local communities to advance surgical services across northeastern Cambodia.

The signing ceremony was covered by local media as shown in the links below.

1. a) Khmer Times: Cambodia News Home:

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501847303/japan-grants-over-316000-for-surgical-care-in-kratie/

1. b) Cambodia Express News:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18CA2r1sYb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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   c) Facebook (the Embassy of Japan in Cambodia):
2. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CCt9uMwK3/

Commemorative Group Photograph at the Signing Ceremony

Ambassador UENO and Mr. SAEKI Signing the Grant Agreement.

Briefing the Activities by Ms. Nanako MORISHIMA, a project Manager for the project to the Ambassador