In August 2025, two members of the Monash House Private Hospital team joined Australian Health and Humanitarian Aid (AHHA) to embark on a life-changing humanitarian mission to Cambodia.
Ophthalmologist Dr Tu Tran, and Nurse Unit Manager Angela Driscoll-Smith volunteered and joined a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmologists, anaesthetists, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, and logistics personnel from across Australia to deliver free eye surgeries and essential care to underserved communities.
This wasn’t a standard clinical setting. The operating rooms at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh offered a different environment from the surgical theatres at Monash House Private Hospital in Melbourne. Instead of traditional surgical tables, the team used massage beds retrofitted with head-ring attachments. With up to three ophthalmologists operating side by side in a single room, the conditions were certainly challenging – but the outcomes were profound.
“Each mission is a reminder that restoring vision is about so much more than sight,” Angela reflects. “It’s about restoring independence, dignity, and opportunity for patients and their families”.
A mission measured in lives transformed
Over five and a half intensive operating days, the AHHA team performed sight-restoring procedures for approximately 490 patients, many of whom had lived with severe cataracts for years.
Before treatment, many relied on children or relatives for daily tasks. After surgery, these same individuals could return to work, care for grandchildren or walk unaided. Restored sight meant restored independence, with ripple effects for families and communities.
This work was made possible by the collective commitment of the volunteers, each of whom self-funded their participation. AHHA donations went directly to transporting nearly 900 kilograms of vital surgical supplies from Australia to Cambodia, ensuring each patient received high-quality care.
In the heart of the theatre: resilience, teamwork, and care
The days were long but rewarding. Each member of the theatre team contributed to a system built on trust, respect, and shared purpose.
“The bond within the team grew stronger by the day,” Angela shared. “Even when fatigue and illness set in, we supported each other to keep going. That’s the spirit that makes these missions so powerful.”
Local volunteers and interpreters from the National Bank of Cambodia and Khmer Sight Foundation bridged language gaps and helped ensure safe, patient-centred care. Outside of the theatres, other volunteers conducted outreach missions in rural villages, distributing food parcels and screening patients for cataracts, many of whom were later transported to Phnom Penh for surgery.
Compassion beyond clinical care
Perhaps the most powerful moments came not from the surgical outcomes alone, but from the acts of humanity in between. Despite long waits and warm conditions, those awaiting treatment remained patient and grateful. Angela remembers watching patients in the waiting room helping an elderly woman adjust her gown and massaging her back to ease discomfort. “It was a quiet act of kindness that reminded us why we do this,” she said.
Championing global healthcare
Championing global healthcare in collaboration with AHHA, Dr Tu Tran and Angela Driscoll-Smith embody what it means to deliver outstanding care across borders, cultures, and healthcare systems. Their work demonstrates how specialist clinical skills, strong leadership, and a shared sense of purpose can transform lives not only in metropolitan centres like Melbourne but also in resource-limited settings such as Phnom Penh.
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Disclaimer
This information is intended for healthcare professionals.
