A Wagga man has been stranded in Cambodia by the coronavirus, after travelling to the country to donate medical supplies.
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John Reid established a charity called Healthy Lives Cambodia after he visited the country in 2012 and saw that although it was rebuilding after the end of the Khmer Rouge years, health facilities were scarce.
Several times a year, he makes the trip back to deliver medication and health supplies and to donate his time in a medical clinic.
When in Cambodia, Mr Reid works out of the clinic in Phnom Penh and also helps to arrange and fund pathology, scans, transportation, vaccinations and education for people that cannot access medical treatment.
But since the escalation of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Reid has been unable to find a seat on a flight back to Australia and is remaining in accommodation in Phnom Penh.
Concerned about the ongoing costs Mr Reid is now incurring, Wagga colleague Michele Pearson has started a furdraising page for him.
By Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe page had raised $1755 of a $5000 goal.
"John's fit and healthy, but he's 60 and the last thing I want is for him to get sick as well, while he is over there," Ms Pearson told The Daily Advertiser.
Mr Reid has found suitable accommodation, where he has access to a kitchen, air-conditioning and an internet connection that allows him to stay in touch with his Wagga colleagues.
He has also found the time to train the hotel's staff in first aid while he waits for a flight home.
"If John can't get a flight out, we're trying to raise some money to at least keep him in that location. It's hard to put a timeframe on how long he will be there," Ms Pearson said.
"In Cambodia, you don't know what the effects will be there. It just doesn't have the infrastructure.
"When John headed over, it just wasn't that bad. You don't think it's going to get to that point."
Ms Pearson said all donations will go directly to Mr Reid and anything leftover will go towards helping people in Cambodia during the pandemic.