CCOUC Conducts Humanitarian Field Training on Cataract Care and Postoperative Follow-up in Cambodia

From 20 to 27 July 2026, the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) organised a Humanitarian Field Training Programme in Cambodia for 14 students from the Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The programme aimed to provide students with firsthand experience in humanitarian medicine, community health interventions and disaster risk management through field visits, practical activities and engagement with local communities. As part of the programme, students participated in a hospital-based learning activity focusing on cataract care, postoperative follow-up and humanitarian medical services, in collaboration with GX Foundation.

During the hospital visit, the team invited 100 patients who had previously undergone cataract surgery through GX Foundation's programme to return for follow-up eye examinations and interviews. The activity aimed to assess patients' postoperative conditions and better understand their quality of life following surgery. It also provided students with an opportunity to learn about continuity of care and the importance of evaluating longer-term patient outcomes in humanitarian health programmes.

The students also visited GX Foundation's mobile surgical vehicles, which function as self-contained field hospitals capable of bringing cataract surgery services to communities with limited access to specialised eye care. Through the visit, participants gained insights into the operational arrangements and practical challenges of delivering medical services in resource-constrained settings.

The hospital visit highlighted the importance of combining clinical services, patient follow-up and community-oriented approaches in humanitarian healthcare. Through direct engagement with patients and medical practitioners, the training strengthened students' understanding of global health inequalities, patient-centred care and the role of humanitarian medicine in improving access to essential health services.