Monday, 20 March 2023
The Cambodian colleagues will take part in an extensive professional programme. During their week-long stay, they will be introduced to the entire maternal and child healthcare system, which plays a key role in placing the Czech Republic among the countries with the lowest maternal and perinatal mortality rates.
They will visit primary outpatient clinics for pregnant women, specialized outpatient clinics (in Prague and Pardubice), a basic-level maternity unit (Slaný), an intermediate care centre (Hořovice), and perinatal centres (Apolinář at the General University Hospital in Prague – VFN and the and the). They will also be introduced to the dispatch centre of the Emergency Medical Service of the Central Bohemian Region. in Kladno, a company manufacturing medical equipment Linet) and the Simulation Centre of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University.
Tuesday, 21 March 2023
The FIRST working day in Prague – “jet leg”, not “jet lag” – was a very intensive one for our Cambodian colleagues. A tour and introduction to all departments of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Apolinář took almost four hours. General University Hospital in Prague – VFN This was followed by a presentation of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and the Antibiotic Centre at the General University Hospital in Prague (VFN) by its charismatic head, V. Adámková.A meeting between the management of the National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh and representatives of the Czech Development Agency,Ing. M. Minčev andMgr. B. Žák Vlasová,originally scheduled for less than an hour, eventually lasted three and a half hours. Nobody minded! The discussions were focused, practical and, above all, useful.Meanwhile, the rest of the Cambodian team took a sightseeing tour of Prague, including a boat trip on the Vltava River, to help them find their way around our capital more easily.The day’s programme concluded in the evening with a visit to the National Museum, including a beautiful view from its dome. The museum’s mascot – the fin whale – also caught the attention of our Cambodian guests.
Wednesday, 22 March 2023
- st visit
Our Cambodian team accepted an invitation from the Emergency Medical Service of the Central Bohemian Region. A well-designed system for transporting pregnant women and women in labour could significantly help save lives at risk in Cambodia. We would therefore like to thank Pavel Rusý and governor Petra Peckováwho made this visit possible.
The head physician, MUDr. M. Matoušek, prepared an excellent workshop for our colleagues. The group was divided into teams of five so as not to disrupt operations, while ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to see everything. As fate would have it, one of the ambulance crews was called out to an unconscious patient during the visit.
2nd visit
We took our Cambodian colleagues to a basic-level maternity facility in Slaný. We were welcomed by head nurse Bc. Ivana Martínková, who showed us around the small but very pleasant maternity ward. Our colleagues saw the delivery rooms, the postnatal ward, and the operating theatres used for emergency Caesarean sections. A lively discussion followed. The visitors were particularly interested in telemetry for intrapartum fetal monitoring and the possibility of administering anaesthesia in emergency obstetric surgery. For me personally, it was also a great trip down memory lane. I metJitka Benešováone of the best midwives I have ever had the opportunity to work with in the delivery rooms. We reminisced about her many years of work at Apolinář. Jitka was always cheerful, but above all highly knowledgeable and professional.
We would like to thank the Slaný maternity ward for the very warm welcome.
3rd visit
We barely have enough energy left to write these updates, as the programme is very full and demanding! We then moved on to a company that manufactures what are today probably some of the best hospital beds in the world – the internationally renowned LINET Asia We were welcomed by director Tomáš Kolář, and a group of very helpful employees gave us a tour of the production facilities. We had the opportunity to see first-hand how a modern hospital bed is made, from the basic components all the way through to the final design. What the founder’s father, Zbyněk Frolík, managed to build in just 30 years since 1990 is remarkable. Equally impressive is the new generation of the team, which continues his work with great dedication and success. Vivat LINET!
Dinner Together
Thursday, 23 March 2023
1st visit
The programme continues. We visited the Intermediate Care Centre at Hořovice Hospital. Our arrival felt a little like “Abbey Road of The Beatles.” A visit to the beautiful maternity ward, known as “U Sluneční brány”, awaited us, with MUDr. Tereza Ježková showing us around. The high standard of neonatal care and the overall quality of the Hořovice maternity ward are largely thanks to MUDr. Milena Dokoupilová, who took her first professional steps as a doctor at the maternity hospital at Apolinář. Even after all these years, Milena has lost none of her smile or her boundless energy. We would like to thank Hořovice Maternity Hospital for giving us the opportunity to present the second level of maternal and child care. Thanks to Dr Dokoupilová, Hořovice now provides specialised care for premature births from as early as the 30th week of pregnancy, receiving patients from across the Czech Republic.
2nd visit
We concluded the programme for the multidisciplinary team from Cambodia in Pilsen, specifically at the local Faculty of Medicine. We received a warm welcome from the dean, Professor Jindřich Fínek, whose witty and humorous manner made the visit especially enjoyable..
This was followed by a comprehensive tour of the brand-new university campus, literally “from the attic to the basement.” Not only our Cambodian colleagues, but also those of us from Prague, could hardly stop admiring it. Modern teaching facilities and materials are complemented by the Comenius Orbis Pictus (“The World in Pictures”) and Schola Ludus (“School by Play”) approach. The modern Simulation Centre provides training in a wide range of areas, particularly emergency medicine, while anatomy is taught using IT technologies as well as cadaveric specimens. Our sincere thanks go to everyone who decided to dedicate their lives after death to the study of medicine. Preventive medicine is not overlooked either. One example is the fully equipped kitchen used for teaching healthy and rational nutrition. Students in Pilsen truly have outstanding conditions for their education. We also greatly appreciated that Prof. MUDr. R. Černý allowed us to attend his live lecture without interrupting it and, on the contrary, warmly welcomed us. This reflects the friendly atmosphere at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University.After a wonderful lunch – otherwise quite a luxury nowadays – we were welcomed by Prof. MUDr. Jiří Bouda and the head of the obstetric section, MUDr. Vlado Korečko, who showed us around the obstetric and neonatal departments of the local perinatal centre. Spacious delivery rooms, a welcoming environment and friendly staff all contribute to excellent care for mothers and babies at one of the largest perinatal centres in the Czech Republic. Thank you very much once again, and we promise to come back soon with another visit!
Friday, 24 March 2023
PREVENTION, PREVENTION, PREVENTION
The Czech Republic would not achieve such excellent perinatal outcomes without a well-functioning network of antenatal clinics. There are more than a thousand of them. Incidentally, one of the first antenatal clinics was established in Zlín shortly before the Second World War, directly at the company of Jan Antonín Baťa. They were among the first to understand that monitoring pregnant women is the best PREVENTION of a wide range of complications, particularly during childbirth.
Today, there are several thousand antenatal clinics throughout the country.
Today, we had the opportunity to visit one of them. Our Cambodian colleagues were surprised to learn that every antenatal clinic in the Czech Republic has a doctor, rather than being staffed solely by a midwife. They were also surprised that every pregnant woman in our country undergoes at least five ultrasound examinations as well as several screening tests. In Cambodia, the national target is for a pregnant woman to attend an antenatal clinic four times during pregnancy. Most women have only one ultrasound examination. In the Czech Republic, the number of antenatal visits is around ten. Most importantly, almost all examinations during pregnancy are covered by health insurance.
Today, we were warmly welcomed by the staff of Gyn Medico
Friendly staff, a beautifully designed interior and an exceptionally pleasant environment awaited us. Our Cambodian visitors were treated to excellent refreshments and, at the end of the visit, received the same gift package that every expectant mother attending the clinic receives.
Special thanks go to the clinic’s managing director, Ing. Edita Hlaváčková, and head nurse Andrea Scholzová
Saturday, 25 March 2023
Saturday is normally a day off. However, we prepared a programme for our colleagues that we do not usually offer to just anyone. Early in the morning, Albert Einstein was waiting for us in Albertov, right in front of the Institute of Physiology. We visited the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University.Our group was particularly impressed by Victoria, currently one of the most advanced simulators for training skills in pregnancy and childbirth care. MUDr. M. Mlček kindly introduced us to the other simulators, including animal models – specifically pig organs and tissues – on which students can practise.
By the way, the Institute of Physiology is the second oldest in the world and was founded by Jan Evangelista Purkyně on 6 October 1851.
Lunch followed, featuring traditional Czech cuisine. We ordered ten portions of goulash and ten portions of svíčková with dumplings, so that our colleagues could share the dishes and taste both Czech specialities. From the restaurant, we headed straight to the Purkyně Institute, where the Apolinář Conference was taking place. Following the previous day’s programme devoted to gynaecology, today’s sessions focused on perinatology. An unplanned but all the more pleasant part of the programme was a meeting with and introduction to Nedoklubko, a Czech non-profit organisation supporting families of premature babies and neonatal departments.
We were also fortunate to witness a Mass in the Chapel of the Holy Cross at our maternity hospital.
As the weather forecast for the following week was not particularly favourable, we then headed into the centre of Prague. Although Charles Bridge was crowded, the picturesque views of its surroundings were quite breathtaking for our Cambodian colleagues. But the day was far from over…
Monday and Tuesday, 27–28 March 2023
Our colleagues from Cambodia have now reached the halfway point of their stay – or rather,
our work on their programme has reached its halfway point. Fortunately, the unusually favourable weather forecast for Cambodia proved accurate in our own country as well, and the sun was shining. Upon arriving at the Department of Obstetrics at Apolinář, General University Hospital in Prague – VFN ur Cambodian colleagues were divided into groups according to their specialisations: obstetrics, neonatology, anaesthesiology, midwifery and biomedical engineering. Our experts in the respective fields then spent the entire day working with them. Among other activities, MUDr. J. Skřenková demonstrated laser treatment for birth-related injuries in clinical practice. Professor MUDr. A. Martan, a renowned urogynecologist who had himself spent several months working in Cambodia at the age of 80, gave a presentation on female urinary incontinence and introduced the group to our well-equipped urogynecology outpatient clinic.
With the agreement and consent of our students, the Cambodian visitors joined them for training at the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University.at the end of the day. In addition to practising vaginal delivery in both cephalic and breech presentation, we focused particularly on life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage. Guests had the opportunity to experience just how important teamwork and simulation-based management of such a critical situation are, with each team member knowing exactly what to do in real-life practice. All of our students’ simulated deliveries were rewarded with enthusiastic applause.
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Another eventful day. Early in the morning, we met with the Dean of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University.Professor Martin Vokurka expressed his full support for the CzechAid project in the field of perinatology. We then moved to our maternity hospital, where Professor Pavel Calda ntroduced the Centre for Fetal Medicine. The collection of biostatistical data is extremely important for the management of a perinatology centre. At our clinic’s “central control room,” Ing. F. Vaněk explained the importance of this work.
The obstetric part of the team then moved to the day surgery department. Lékaři mohli sledovat laparoskopii, chirurgickou léčbu myomu na děloze. Anesteziologové konzultovali nové anesteziologické postupy
The doctors were able to observe laparoscopic surgical treatment of uterine fibroids. The anaesthesiologists discussed new anaesthetic procedures, particularly with regard to administering anaesthesia for myomectomy. Finally, they had the opportunity to observe Professor A. Martan and his expertise in urogynecological surgery.
We also gave our Cambodian colleagues the opportunity to attend the regular perinatology seminar, held every Wednesday at 12:30 in the clinic’s lecture hall.
After lunch, a bus was waiting outside our maternity hospital, and we headed 
to the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.
We had been invited by Bohuslav Svoboda, a Member of Parliament and the newly elected Mayor of PragueIt was a very special meeting. Associate Professor Svoboda is originally a gynaecologist and obstetrician and is one of the leading figures in oncogynaecological surgery in the Czech Republic. It is admirable that, despite everything he has achieved in his medical and political career, he continues his professional education and is becoming an expert in robotic surgery in gynaecology.Many thanks to everyone who made our tour of the Chamber of Deputies possible, especially Martin Blažek
Thursday, 30 March 2023
Thursday was quite different from the previous days. We began with a professional programme: while our team of anaesthesiologists was in the operating theatre with our anaesthesiologist Vanna, the Cambodian colleagues visited the paediatric ENT department at the General University Hospital in Prague – VFNto observe the administration of anaesthesia to children.
This was followed by a meeting at the Czech Medical Association of J. E. Purkyně (ČLS JEP), where the VITA ET FUTURA Foundation, together with Charles University organised a press conference presenting the project “Czech Perinatal Hands Fly to Cambodia.” The project is supported by CzechAid Although the media are generally not particularly interested in positive news, this was not the case on this occasion. Everyone could see for themselves in a report broadcast on TV NovaIn the afternoon, the entire team visited Pražský hrad — Prague castle — Castello di Praga — Castillo de Praga followed by an early dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Kuchyň, part of the renowned group Ambiente Restaurants.
Saturday, 1 April 2023
The last day of the team from the មន្ទីរពេទ្យកុមារជាតិ National Pediatric Hospitalin the Czech Republic.
At 5:35 p.m., three anaesthesiologists, an operating theatre nurse and a biomedical engineer – a quarter of the team – asked whether it might be possible to attend a football match. It was a last-minute request and slightly stressful, as the Sk Slavia Praha- Fotbal match was due to start at 7:00 p.m., but we managed to make it happen. As a bonus, they got to see Slavia score plenty of goals against Olomouc. Many thanks to Jaroslav Tvrdíkav and Michaela Schejbalováfor their quick and, above all, dedicated help. No exaggeration – Slavia now has enthusiastic fans in Cambodia too!.
A fortunate coincidence also brought us together with Milan Kounovskýone of the best-known Czech caricaturists, who, incidentally, had drawn portraits of our entire Cambodian team just a week earlier. And as they were leaving? A meeting with the fascinating Radek Mašín, a member of the famous Mašín family, and his son, who was born at the U Apolináře Maternity Hospital. Some things simply cannot be planned – they just have to happen and be experienced.
