A Case Study of Training for Flood Management in Cambodia: Perspectives from Healthcare Professionals and Key Training Stakeholders

Introduction
Floods are the most common type of natural disaster worldwide and are projected to become more
frequent and more extreme. Cambodia is prone to annual, seasonal flooding. Floods impact health in
many ways and can disrupt the health system through destruction of infrastructure and loss or
diversion of human, economic and physical resources. Through knowledge acquisition and skills
development, training of healthcare professionals can lead to a more effective flood response. Globally,
there is a need for more and improved disaster management training for healthcare professionals.
Little is known about the current challenges faced by healthcare professionals when working during
floods or the gaps and barriers that exist in providing flood management training in Cambodia. This
pilot study sought to describe the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and increase
understanding of flood management from the perspectives of key training stakeholders in Cambodia.
Methods
Two qualitative methods were used; rapid assessment methodologies during a national workshop
attended by 44 health professionals and semi-structured interviews with six key training
stakeholders. Data from the workshop was analysed descriptively and thematic content analysis was
used for the interviews.
Results
The challenges when working during a flood include a lack of physical and human resources.
Challenges are mainly operational, relating to planning, preparation and resource use, and
communication between healthcare professionals. Gaps in current flood management training include
teaching non-technical skills and providing sustainable training. Barriers include a lack of resources
and competing interests from external funders and stakeholders.
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Conclusion
The findings of this study offer better understanding into flood management and may help to inform
future disaster management curriculums inside and outside of Cambodia. Recommendations for future
flood management training in Cambodia include increasing the number and capacity of trainers,
harmonizing the involvement of all those involved in training provision and recognising the potential
implications of external funders. Recommendations for further research include understanding how
informal knowledge sharing processes can contribute to flood management training, particularly in a
resource stretched setting, and how best to incorporate essential non-technical skills into training.