On October 27, King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia signed a royal decree approving the admission of Jon F. Morgan, founder of The Lake Clinic Cambodia, to Cambodian citizenship and authorizing him to use the name “Morgan Karuna.” The decree states that his original name is MORGAN JON FRANCIS and his former nationality was American.
Morgan’s connection with Cambodia began in 1994. According to the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), he and his wife arrived in Cambodia that year and, while traveling by boat to Siem Reap, witnessed the hardships faced by residents living on Tonle Sap Lake. From 1998 to 2007, he served as the first executive director of Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap.
During his tenure, Morgan began focusing on the healthcare needs of remote floating villages and partnered with the Asian Development Bank in 2002 to bring medical services to some of these communities. This led him to realize that occasional free medical outreach could not meet residents’ need for long-term access to care. After leaving the hospital in 2007, he founded The Lake Clinic to serve floating communities where transportation was difficult and medical resources were scarce.
The clinic’s medical teams travel by boat to villages, providing basic care for adults and children, vaccinations, dental and eye care, prenatal examinations and health education. When necessary, they also help patients secure referrals and transportation.
According to Morgan’s first-half 2026 report published on GlobalGiving, of the nine floating villages served by the clinic, the closest is approximately 30 kilometers from a port and the farthest is approximately 100 kilometers away, meaning transportation costs alone pose a barrier to healthcare for poor families. From January to June this year, the clinic made 186 outreach trips, recorded 6,210 patient visits and helped refer 26 patients to higher-level medical institutions.
The Lake Clinic’s official website says that the organization has provided more than 360,000 free health services since 2007.