Burn Contractures
According to the Office of International Surgery (OIS), there are over 2,000 burn deaths and 30,000 burn injuries in Cambodia every year.
Two-thirds of these burns happen to patients under ten years old.
Due to a lack of vital post-burn care, many victims develop serious burn contractures which leads to further complications — from discrimination by their peers to physical disability.
When Loas La was two years old, he stepped on a pile of hot ash from burning rubbish out of curiosity. It is common to see villagers burn rubbish as a means of disposal and keeping warm through the night.
Villagers like Loas La and his family have to travel long distances in order to seek quality healthcare treatment at the Angkor Hospital for Children.
Dr Terence Tan, a visiting plastic surgeon from the Singapore General Hospital, evaluates the extent of Loas La's burn contracture by asking him to stand up.
A juxtaposition of Loa La's feet with burn contracture and that of his baby sister.
After administering the general anaesthesia, the operating team quickly plans for the long procedure and assigns tasks to the different surgeons present, in order to operate on both feet simultaneously.
Pictured: Dr. Terence Goh
The visiting medical team from Singapore General Hospital hard at work — trying to complete as many operations as possible during their stay in Cambodia.
Pictured: Dr. Terence Goh
Loas La's mother relieved to learn that the operation to release the contracture on her son's feet was a success.
Loas La's baby sister holds onto his foot which is now free of the contracture after an operation — lasting more than five hours — carried out by the visiting medical team from Singapore General Hospital.
3-year-old Phon Bunrady suffered burns to his face and legs after accidentally knocking over and spilling gasoline over an open clay stove — a common fixture in Cambodian homes.
Although Phon was rushed to a hospital near his home in Phnom Penh, the skin grafts were insufficient. The lack of vital post-burn care resulted in serious burn contractures, requiring an operation to prevent scars around Phon’s face from thickening and pulling his lip muscles downwards.
His mother, Heng Somom, coaxes him as he cries outside the treatment room.
Dr Mohamed Zulfikar Rasheed, a visiting plastic surgeon from the Singapore General Hospital, evaluates the extent of the burn scars on Phon's lips, which has to be operated on in order to prevent any complications in the future.
Traditional practices of cooking over an open fire make burns like this extremely common in Cambodia.
Phon's mother holds him tight while repeatedly assuring him that there will be nothing to worry about, as a nurse administers the IV medication.
Phon and his mother wait outside the operating theatre.
A nurse holds on to Phon's hand after the general anaesthetics is being administered.
