IMR Continues To Support Pregnant Women And Mothers In The Koh Rong

Paul and Heidi made a house call on another possible baby delivery. After searching for the labouring mother to no avail, they returned to clinic where the mother-to-be awaited their arrival anxiously. She wanted them to deliver her baby, but was not quite in labor for that to happen. Women in this large village give birth at their homes. Although in other villages there is a TBA (traditional birth assistant), here, in the most populated village of the Koh Rong, there is profoundly the absence of a TBA. Birthing women are left to labor and deliver in the privacy of their own home with no assistance, care or knowledge. Because there was no TBA in this village; the woman desperately wanted to have her baby in the presence of proper medical support.

With the focus on women’s health this year, IMR has made an effort to provide special gifts for the pregnant women and new mothers. IMR has made a donation to the Koh Rong TBAs of US manufactured, sterile, brand new, birthing kits for every delivery. These special kits include the entire contents needed for a proper deliver. Additionally, IMR has donated 2 fetal dopplers for the TBAs to use as they care for pregnant and delivering mothers. Most importantly, IMR made a donation of prenatal vitamins, enough to sustain every pregnant and new mother in the Koh Rong for an entire year. These vital nutritional supplements will aid the mothers as with essential nutrients for pregnancy and newborn nursing care. A special thank you to the IMR Partners who subsidised the shipping costs for these crucial prenatal vitamins. We appreciate our partners!

Last year, in the Koh Rong, IMR tested all of the water sources of each village we attended. Unfortunately, we were able to confirm our worst fears that the water sources were in fact unclean. This year, worked in collaboration with the World Health Organization, and identified that every member of the community should in fact be treated for worms and parasites; not just those children under the age of 5, a standard course of operation for IMR. We started our campaign on this trip and have successfully been able to provide the first dose of deworming medication to the entire Koh Rong Archipelago. The Song Saa Boat of Hope will deliver on IMR’s behalf the next dose on their follow up visit in 6 months. IMR will continue to support the nutrition and health of the people in the Koh Rong as we believe in the goal of overall health and wellness for these people. Sustainability is an important component of this project and we are glad to be able to partner to make this happen.

This deworming clinic was sponsored by the IMR Partner Program. Thank you to the IMR partners for their continue support of our organization.

Today I am writing you to ask for your support, we want to help even more people. We are hoping to be able to enhance our medicines in the field – support clinics that can help treat chronic conditions, vaccinate children, provide hospital care, provide clean water to eradicate certain illnesses, stop the spread of infection with preventative training and medicines, lessen mother-baby death rates through a mid-wife training program, and more. I am asking for your help. IMR has a very successful Partner Program and we would love for you to join us on our quest to save lives around the world. 100 percent of the funds given to the Partner Program go toward patient cases and community support that otherwise would go unfunded as they are outside of the scope of our standard support.