Founded in 1999 through the initial vision of Kenro Izu and subsequently nurtured through the leadership of many expatriates including first Executive Director and Director of Nursing Jon & Mieko Morgan, Director of Education David Shoemaker, HIV/Homecare Director Kazumi Akao and many others, AHC has evolved into a high quality medical institution with growing leadership and management by the Cambodian staff themselves. It is the love and dedication from all these staff members of Angkor Hospital for Children that continues to propel the hospital towards a brighter future every day. We are most happy and proud to announce that we have now given medical treatment to over one million children in Cambodia.
The Security Guards were alerted and told that on December 20th AHC’s one-millionth patient would arrive. The guards counted carefully and extra staff members were present at the entrance gate to greet the special patient. At 6:30 in the morning, a young girl names Alya entered as the millionth patient. Executive Director William Housworth (AKA Dr. Bill) asked her parents, who are teachers at Build Bright University in Siem Reap, why they brought their daughter to AHC. Their answer is a testimony to all that AHC strives to exemplify and teach. They said, “We trust the care that the doctors give. The medicines always work and the staff is kind.”These words may sound simple but in Cambodia where medical care is not often the best and where medical systems tend to impersonalize the patient, we were quite touched to hear her answer. Indeed, this mother and child were not overtly poor and yet they choose to come to AHC and endure the sometimes lengthy wait because of the quality and compassion they sense at AHC.
What better testimony could there be?