We introduce a unique teaching method of biomedical engineering in Cambodia - News service

Publication date:

2019/06/13

In Cambodia, an expert team from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Technology, works with the support of the Czech Development Agency. For the first time in history, an educational field of Biomedical Engineering has been established here. The project was initiated by the Cambodian Ministry of Health itself, which recognized the need for this kind of study field to be established at the universities there. A team of scientists from the FBMI CTU under the guidance of Professor Karel Roubík was asked for help. Five years ago, Professor Roubík was behind a very successful project to introduce this promising and rapidly developing field in South American Columbia at Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga.

In Cambodia, healthcare professionals face a wide range of medical technology issues. Many hospitals are financially and materially supported by donors from countries around the world (mainly from France, Australia, Japan and Korea). However, the variety and incompatibility of donated medical equipment often makes it impossible to use it on a daily basis, which ultimately leads to its inapplicability and stacking of state-of-the-art equipment in warehouses that is sometimes difficult to bring back to clinics. According to an analysis published by American biomedical experts Perry and Malkin, 66% of devices that "idle" in medical technology stores in developing countries can be put back into service at clinics, "using locally available material and less than $ 50 ”. The lack of people with proper education causes professional care and routine maintenance of these facilities to be neglected. This contributes significantly to the deterioration in the quality and availability of medical care in Cambodia.