Kitihara Clinic

Saturday, 16 November 2013

I was invited to an event for the Japanese Kitihara Clinic at the Cambodiana Hotel. It began with a very heartfelt greeting from Dr. Kitihara who spoke about opening his clinics in Japan to focus on providing exceptional holistic care for patients suffering from serious neurological deficits. At present there are 5 Kitihara Clinics in Japan and as of December 2012 one in Cambodia. Dr. Kitihara shared with us about some of the testimonials from patients whose lives had been changed and saved through the clinics and he stated that healthcare is a very important part of the infrastructure of any country, just as much as electricity, water, and roads are. But healthcare is more than hospitals and medical facilities. It is about basic needs like healthy food, education about nutrition, and disease prevention. Therefore, healthcare is not confined to a hospital, but must be open to the community. Agriculture, education and housing all contribute to healthcare. Dr. Kitihara then introduced the event’s guest lecturer, Dr. Takeshi Kawase, the Honorary President of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies.

Dr. Kawase spoke on the topic, “What is Stroke?” and lectured about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Stroke. It was an absolutely fascinating lecture – even for someone like me who knows very little about medicine. One of the main things that Dr. Kawase said we could do to prevent Stroke is to “not Westernize our diet” particularly regarding salty foods. He stated that the best diet is a plant-based diet. Following the lecture, there was a question and answer time and then a short break, which turned into a longer break; and I saw the Kitihara staff running around very nervously as we waited – a conference room full of people waiting, with no program, facing an empty stage. Then after about 20 minutes several security staff walked in and surveyed the room – pulling curtains shut, moving around some chairs and the podium on the stage. Then the doors behind me opened and I turned to see 20 security officers packed tightly together. Everyone in the room stood up and the guards moved toward the stage, remaining tightly packed  together, they moved like a cloud, and in the middle was Cambodian Minister of Health and Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

When the Minister of Health spoke I was kind of surprised by the softness of his voice. He seemed, in fact, to be rather timid. My ears perked up, though, when I heard him say “socapeup laah”, which I recognized because the vision of the new business I am starting with Neth is “socapeup laah, pahniek setakek kunong protae Kampochea” (Healthy economy, healthy workforce in Cambodia). As the Minister spoke I noticed that the entire room was in absolute silence – like the air has been sucked out of it. I wondered if this from respect for him or fear of the group of guards, standing erect, lining the perimeter of the room, eyes scanning left and right. The Japanese Prime Minister finished his comments (I did not understand his comments because they were spoken in Japanese and translated into Khmer) and he then gave a few minutes to pose on stage for some photos, then he left as he arrived – walking in the middle of a tightly packed large group of guards. He walked by me (not even two feet away) and I snapped a blurry picture on my phone. As soon as he left the sound in the room returned – scattered conversations, the low bustling sound of people shifting about in their chairs, and some laughter.

Sign at The Peace Palace on Russian Blvd

 



Prime Minister Abe on stage with the Cambodian
Minister of Health and distinguished Japanese doctors