Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Capital’s Sunrise Hospital a shining example of ‘warm heart’ treatment

Capital’s Sunrise Hospital a shining example of ‘warm heart’ treatment

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Sunrise Hospital trains students to use state-of-the-art technology. Photo supplied

Capital’s Sunrise Hospital a shining example of ‘warm heart’ treatment

Sunrise Japan Hospital Phnom Penh has in its fourth year of operating quickly become a symbol of the Japanese community helping develop the Kingdom’s medical sector.

When the hospital first opened in 2016, it had 30 Japanese doctors on staff who worked in tandem with 80 Cambodian professionals.

Today, there are 20 Japanese medical staff and 190 Cambodian medical professionals on staff as the hospital trains locals to fill positions, explains neurosurgeon Dr Yoshifumi Hayashi.

Dr Hayashi has been in the Kingdom since 2015.

He tells The Post that he has seen significant improvements in Cambodia’s medical sector since that time, but he notes that much work is still ahead.

The hospital embraces a culture of treating the community with a “warm heart”, says Dr Hayashi, who is also clinical director.

The warm heart concept has led the hospital to cross several frontiers, including medical trips to rural communities to provide health check-ups, consultations and other procedures to financially vulnerable Cambodians.

Most recently, 37 of Sunrise Hospital’s staff and two volunteer students embarked on a medical outreach programme to Prey Veng province.

At remote villages, the team offered health screenings, reviewed medication and educated 300 villagers.

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Dr Yoshifumi Hayashi consults with colleagues. Photo supplied

One of the patients had been suffering from stomach pain for several years. He went opted to visit a pharmacy instead of a clinic. The man was incorrectly diagnosed and prescribed the wrong medicine, the University of Tokyo graduate explains between rounds.

“This is very common, not only in the countryside but also in Phnom Penh. When we evaluated the patient we saw that it was [likely] a colon problem. We were able to recognise that it was not a stomach problem and referred him to a local hospital for proper medical treatment,” the good doctor says.

Beyond its notable medical outreach programme, the hospital has also given 15 patients free medical care through its “Akahige Project Fund”.

The fund affords financially vulnerable people medical care in severe cases when time is of the essence. As leaders in neurology, this mostly occurred when patients suffered severe brain trauma following motorcycle accidents or strokes.

“Each second counts in these circumstances,” Hayashi says.

He adds that the dream of Dr Shigemi Katahara of expanding Kitahara International Hospital’s world-class healthcare to developing countries brought him to Cambodia.

Sunrise Japan Hospital in Phnom Penh is the first representation of Dr Kitahara’s vision.

It took three years of surveys to understand the Kingdom’s medical situation and another three years to build the facilities. During this time, Cambodian staff travelled to Japanese hospitals for training.

Dr Hayashi explains that beyond providing care to patients, his responsibility is also to impart his knowledge and expertise to local medical staff.

The hospital provides Cambodian medical students with hands-on training on how to use state-of-the-art technology, including angiography, radiology and MRI machines, as well as the laboratory.

“We establish and operate an emergency medical centre to provide high-level Japanese-style medical services . . . while expanding our sustainable model.

“We try to serve as a good model for the healthcare system in terms of quality and price, as well as in the development of healthcare and human resources,” Dr Hayashi says.

Sunrise Japan Hospital Phnom Penh has seven centres, specialising in stroke and neurology, gastroenterology, emergency care, internal general medicine, paediatrics, health check-ups and plastic surgery.

For more information visit www.sunrise-hs.com.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one