When There is No Free Medical Care
Medical care around the world takes on a different image in itself, depending on where you are living. For the here and now though, I’m not here to debate on which system in which part of the world is the best. Yet, having been involved with and growing up in the American style of medical care makes this the most familiar one for me. Secondarily, probably the medical system of our neighbor to the north in the US is the other one that I can also identify with.
I’m learning more and more about the medical system here in Cambodia the longer I stay/live here. One thing is for sure though, there is no free medical care for the middle class individual in this country. This statement was affirmed in these last weeks as various people in the office staff have become quite ill. Their approach for resolution to their issues varied greatly. (Somehow that rings wide for the middle class in the US doesn’t it?)
The first one was a pastor who was doing Lutheran Hour Ministry broadcasting for a month, having come down from his preaching stations in Ratanakiri. He was here to discuss his future involvement and plans within the church as others were being raised up to take his place. About mid month he became very ill. He struggled with it for a few days, and then went to get some ‘coining’ to resolve his illness. I’ve seen coining done and it doesn’t look too appealing to me, but it worked for him. He got better. I think the pain shifted points in his case.
The second one to fall ill was a church planter who was traveling and driving for President Vannarith. He had not been well way back in February when he was with us in Siem Reap for a week. After two weeks of drinking water and sleeping and resting almost all of the day, he went to his father and said to him that he needed to go to the doctor but had no money. His father gave him the funds he needed. We now know the possible reason for his illness. He needs our prayers.
The last person is our office translator and logistics coordinator. He has been hospitalized four times in the last month with severe stomach pain. He has been diagnosed with gallstones. If you can imagine that even having an ingrown toenail in this country is problematic, then the diagnosis of gallstones here is not a good sign. He is afraid of surgery. We can understand that. Additionally, he is not able to work at the moment, so when you don’t work, you don’t eat, you can’t pay your rent, buy your medicine, or pay for your surgery. He is in that middle class where there is no free medical care. Gratefully the church is trying to help him, but even they cannot fix the whole thing. He is an orphan with no family I will also add here. We are his family here in the office as it is.
So if you have money, as the rich do here, you can afford medical care as you need it. Most likely though, these people will travel to Thailand or Malaysia for medical care at least. If you are upper middle class you may go to Vietnam, where medical care is better (we’re told).
If you are poor, you have to fill out the form in the local medical clinic where you live and get permission/authorization to get free medical care. You have to show that you have made an attempt to take care of yourself, which means that you may end up selling your cow, the rice to feed your family, or ask your friends to help first before they will give you free medical care. We are told that these clinics by and large are not as yet all medically competent as they could be.
If you are an expat and need medical care, they see the $$ in your eyes, and you will pay dearly to have their help, at whatever level they are able to do so. They will try their best.
So, for whatever your medical system is wherever you sit in this world, I am thinking that it is a lot better than the current standard here, but for a start, at least it is a beginning here, for a system that had nothing and has had to come from the ground up, with not a lot of long term help to do it from the outside.
Incidentally, the dental care is top notch here. The dental community has hit the mark. Western style dentistry is 21st century, much cheaper, and filled with individuals who have been trained abroad and returned to take care of their countrymen. We have used them as need be and have been totally satisfied with their care to us.
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