Preah Sihanouk Provincial Referral Hospital, in collaboration with a multinational team of volunteer surgeons from “friendly” countries, will provide free surgery for a number of ailments, such as cleft lips and palates, hernias, cysts and other ailments from May 15-20.

According to the announcement, the free surgery will be provided in collaboration with Medical Mission International surgeons from the US, France, Canada, Australia, India and the Philippines.

Conditions that the doctors will treat and operate on include cleft lips and palates, limb and facial deformities, hernias, abscesses, gallstones and bile ducts issues, cervical cysts, uterine tumors and uterine ruptures.

Provincial administration spokesman Kheang Phearum said the programme was conducted in collaboration with a team of volunteer doctors who specialise in multicultural surgery. The annual service would only be available in this province.

“The operations will be free for the poor. Those with higher incomes will be charged reasonable prices – about $160,” he said.

Seng Nong, director of hospital, said the programme was usually an annual event but had been interrupted in recent years by the pandemic, which meant the international surgeons were unable to participate.

He said that according to his experience of past years’ programmes, the volunteers could operate on around 30 to 40 patients. Most of the patients would be from Preah Sihanouk.

“Even if it is a minor illness, the surgeons will treat it – such as in the case of a minor tumor,” he said.

Nong said after word of the visit has spread, a team of doctors at the referral hospital will record the names of those who have reached out with surgical requests, and then meet with them to conduct blood tests and prepare them for surgery and treatment.