CSC is funded entirely by private donations. About 80% of this funding comes from Trusts/Foundations, and Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, mostly based in Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, USA, and Australia. The remaining funds come from individual donors. CSC does not receive any funding from the government or large government aid programmes (e.g. USAID). Based on this, our strategy is to continue to remain a mid-size organisation and minimize bureaucracy.

On any given day there can be up 10 - 15 eye surgeries (mostly cataracts) and 5 - 10 general rehabilitative operations (fracture repair, cleft lip repair, ENT, burn contracture release, etc). In 2022, CSC’s Khmer doctors and staff provided patients with over 16,600 consultations and 2,177 surgical procedures.

As all surgery at CSC is elective, we are open during regular business hours, from 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday. Our staff rotates on-call shifts out of regular hours. CSC is closed for one week during each of the major Cambodian holidays (Khmer New Year in April/May; Pchum Benh in Sep/Oct; and Water Festival in Oct/Nov).

International surgeons and health workers cover their own costs. Some are self-funded through other NGOs and charities, such as SEE International and Medicins du Monde. Normally, our visiting surgeons and other international health personnel return to CSC year after year, maintaining a continuum of training and project follow-up. CSC maintains various lists of the patients that our staff cannot help without guidance, and then we call these patients to return during the international specialist’s visit. Our invitational letters to surgical teams highlights the focus on teaching and training, rather than simply hosting fly in/fly out missions from international volunteers.

What started as a centre to treat children with land mine injuries, CSC operates on both children and adults. A majority of CSC’s eye patients are adults. Dr Jim Gollogly made the decision to operate on all ages after countless adults presented with a child (often a girl), who had been pulled out of school to look after a disabled parent or grandparent. This holistic approach allows parents and young adults to return to work or school, and support their children and families. The general rehabilitation surgery department still focuses on children and young adults, with about two thirds of patients being under the age of 20.

The short answer is maybe. Please review the website to learn more about the programmes at CSC. We accept final year medical students on electives year-round. Our visiting surgeons are sub-specialised experts in their field (professors, and other professionals with global experience). Feel free to email us to info@csc.org with your CV and a brief description of your plan/time frame.