Humanitarian military medical mission in a postconflict environment: lessons from Cambodia

In the aftermath of a genocidal civil war, the Government of Cambodia is left with major deficiencies in its healthcare system. This article recounts a military medical mission to Cambodia; the authors describe the objectives of the mission and provide a summary of the lessons learned. Specific areas of concern include healthcare infrastructure, logistics, standards of care, social traditions, organizational issues and potential problems in civil–military collaboration. This report is offered as a heuristic device to illuminate some of the issues that can mediate the success of military medical missions in postconflict environments.