Some 43 patients, including six who were seriously-ill, were evacuated on Tuesday as floodwaters inundated Angkor Chum District Hospital in Siem Reap province.
“The six serious patients were rushed by an emergency vehicle to Puok District Hospital. Another five health centres were also overcome in Angkor Chum district, but no patients were admitted to those centres at the time,” the district director of operations Mak Samoeun told The Post on Tuesday.
A total of 37 patients were allowed to return home after attending physicians provided them with medication.
Angkor Chum District Hospital director Nob Vanny credited the hard work of hospital staff in managing the disaster as floodwaters receded on Tuesday evening.
“Our staff had not slept at all since they removed all the patients from the hospital due to the floods. We were particularly careful to avoid an electrical short circuit.
“Only the building’s front yard was flooded at first and then the water flowed into the building. That’s when we had to evacuate the 43 patients,” said Vanny.
Angkor Chum District governor Luk Phos praised hospital physicians for their efforts in ensuring the six seriously ill patients were kept safe during the ordeal.
He said floods were also triggered in nearby Duon Peng and Char Chhouk communes in Angkor Chum district.
“Even though some health centres were also flooded, they did not suffer as much as the Angkor Chum District Hospital. We are continuing to admit patients, but serious cases will be referred to other nearby hospitals,” Phos said.
The area had experienced three days of rainfall before the floodwaters flowed in from neighbouring Varin district – fortunately, no crops were damaged during the ordeal, said Phos.
The floods occurred as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) continues across the Mekong basin in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology urged residents near the borders with Thailand and Lao to be careful as medium to heavy rains will continue until September 24 to 25.
