Sok Siphana

Cambodia's first female physician who revolutionized public health during French colonial rule

Sok Siphana (1928-2015) was a trailblazing Cambodian physician who became the country's first female doctor in 1956. Defying societal expectations, she pursued medical studies in France despite her family's objections and returned to Cambodia to establish the first maternity hospital in Phnom Penh. Her work focused on improving maternal health and combating diseases like malaria through community education programs. The Sok Siphana Medical Foundation continues her mission today, training rural healthcare workers.

During the Khmer Rouge regime, she secretly treated victims using traditional remedies while preserving modern medical knowledge. Her memoir 《Healing Cambodia's Communities》 documents her struggles and innovations. Siphana's legacy includes the Sok Siphana Memorial Hospital, which integrates Western medicine with Khmer traditional practices.