Kratie Provincial Referral Hospital (KPRH) is a main healthcare facility of the region which has a responsibility to protect the health of 400,000 residents in the area.
Four years have passed since FIDR started Pediatric Surgery Project at KPRH. During 4 years, we can see the changes in hospital staff’ consciousness as well as in the in-hospital environment.

Before the project started, the in-hospital environment was not so good with rubbish everywhere and bad smell from clogged toilets. Neither hospital staffs nor patients problematized the situation.
However, there were some staff who wanted to make changes for the better. Those were the Director of the hospital, some doctors and nurses who had been trained at National Pediatric Hospital with support from FIDR in the past.

Together with these members, FIDR supported in improving the environment of toilets, water place and garbage collection area. The more improvement was made, the more hospital staff became aware of the importance of the cleanliness in the hospital. Toilets of other departments were renovated with the initiative of hospital staff. The area which used to be full of rubbish was turned into flower garden.
“We always want to make a comfortable place like this”. The thought of the chief nurse became a driving force for changes. Now, hospital nurses call on the patients to keep the hospital clean: “This toilet was rebuilt beautifully by Japanese people. Now it’s our responsibility to keep it always clean to show them our appreciation”

It was not only hospital staff’ awareness toward the improvement of the hospital environment but also awareness toward the patients have been changed.
It’s important to do a post-operative care after patients were discharged from the hospital. However, not so many people return to the hospital for the health check-up. Therefore, there were nurses who said “We would like to visit patients who were discharged from the hospital”.

Pediatrician - Dr. Tomohiro Ishii, who has been involved in FIDR’s Pediatric Surgery Project for years as an expert, said “Whenever I visit KPRH, I, together with hospital staff, have been thinking about what we need to do to improve the Pediatric Surgery Department. Recently I feel their consciousness has been changing in a positive way. As staff of the main hospital in Kratie Province, now they have realized how important their roles are to Pediatric Surgery”. Dr. Ishii also pointed out the importance to keep supporting hospital staff to take the initiatives and feel fulfilled in their duties.

Support from outside organization like FIDR is just an opportunity to encourage local people to make changes. The sustainability of the impact depends on each hospital staff. FIDR will keep moving forward with hospital staff, who play the most important role in the hospital, so that KPRH will become a reliable hospital that could treat children in rural area.