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A group of dedicated volunteers are making life better for patients in Cambodia, alongside a donation of equipment from a Tasmanian private hospital.
Devonport Eye Hospital has donated its Alcon Constellation Vision System to the Khmer Soviet Friendship Teaching Hospital in Phnom Penh.
Doctors from the Australian Health Humanitarian Aid, including Devonport ophthalmic surgeon Dr Andrew Traill, travel to Cambodia each year to train local doctors and deliver specialist eye care.
"There are a lot of people in Cambodia who are refugees from surrounding countries, and they are stateless – they're not recognised by Cambodia, they can't go home, and they therefore have no access to healthcare," Dr Traill said.
"While we're there, we do around 500 cataract operations."
He said the equipment the team had been using in Cambodia could best be described as "ancient".
"It's basically now obsolete and the last time we went, it was barely working," Dr Traill said.
"Here at Devonport, we're very fortunate to have upgraded to the new Alcon UNITY VCS system, which is the absolute latest in that machine.
Dr Andrew Traill operating the donated eye care equipment during his trip to Cambodia
"The one we had was still a pretty good one, and we were able to arrange to have that one sent to Cambodia."
The Constellation Vision System is an advanced ophthalmic microsurgical platform used for both anterior and posterior segment surgery, including cataract removal and vitreo-retinal procedures.
Dr Traill said the equipment donated by the Devonport short-stay facility – part of the Cura Day Hospitals Group – would make a world of difference.
"It's a huge upgrade, it will make our work in Cambodia so much easier. It will make surgery easier, and safer, and faster and neater," he said.
CEO Jenny Zamora said the donation reflected Devonport Eye Hospital's commitment to supporting corporate social responsibility initiatives that contribute to global eye health.
"Providing the Khmer Soviet Friendship Teaching Hospital with access to modern surgical technology is vital for both patient outcomes and the training of future surgeons," she said.
"We are pleased that this equipment will support the important work being undertaken by surgeons and volunteers in Cambodia."
For Dr Traill, the work in Cambodia is both professionally and personally rewarding.
"The impact this surgery has goes beyond the patient, it has quite wide-reaching effects," he said.
"Often, you've got grandparents who can't look after grandchildren because of their sight, so when that is fixed, parents can then go back out to work, to support the family.
"The team we go with is enormous – there's cataract surgery, and a dental team, and there's nurses, GPs and support people, it's a big undertaking. It has a huge impact on these people.
"We don't see this type of cataract work in Australia because cases don't get that far.
"People here have good access to healthcare – we often don't realise how lucky we are, and how well-developed we are as a country."
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