V
Mission to Sangkhlaburi
www.angkorhospital.org
www.angkorhospital.org
April 2015
On behalf of the patients and their families who benefited from this
mission, we thank you sincerely for your interest and support.
INTRODUCTION
In April 2015 a team from INTERPLAST Germany e.V led by Dr Nuri Alamuti came to Sangkhlaburi on the Thai/Burmese
border for a plastic surgery mission serving a large number of patients. Surgery included cleft lip and palate repairs and
reconstructive surgery for burns victims. The Kwai River Christian Hospital kindly hosted the team. Local organizations
like the American Refugee Council (ARC) and The Border Health Initiative (BHI) referred patients, many of whom were
from deep inside Burma, and facilitated their access to surgical care from the Interplast team. Sangkhlaburi and the
hospital itself exists in a kind of no-mans land for minorities. The patients travel far across difficult terrain to reach the
border, and likewise the team travel over seven hours by bus from Bangkok on hilly, windy roads to reach the patients.
This was the third mission within six years of the INTERPLAST Germany team to Sangkhlaburi.
The Team: (Left to Right) Dr Nirved, Pi Tom (head nurse KRCH) Pi Sirili (OT nurse KRCH), Helen, Desiree,
Shweta, Dr Hash, Dr Nuri Alamuti, Dr Sanjeev, KRCH Manager. With patients Mu Lay (sitting) and Kyaw Tu Win.
In addition a nine year old girl- Phyu Phyu with a disabling hand contracture and a five year old boy -Star Paw with a foot
contracture that rendered him unable to walk without severe pain, were successfully operated on. Phyu Phyu now has a
functional right hand and Star Paw has a new foot to walk on without pain. The surgeries quite simply transform lives by
rebuilding function to a disabled body, and by ensuring that no child will die from malnutrition due to a cleft palate.