Written by MOM KUNTHEAR and CHRANN CHAMROEUN
The Phnom Penh Post
PAILIN police have questioned four obstetricians at the province's public hospital in connection with the death of a pregnant woman Sunday night, according to local human rights group Adhoc, which is assisting the woman's husband.
Vorn Yoeub, 37, died on Sunday night due to complications in labour, reportedly after obstetrics staff refused treatment unless her husband paid US$25 in fees. Her death prompted provincial Governor Y Chhien to order an investigation. The hospital has denied the allegations of negligence.
Adhoc coordinator Chhoun Makara said the provincial prosecutor in neighbouring Battambang province, which hears court cases for both provinces, instructed police in Pailin to interview hospital staff.
"I cannot assess what the result will be because the case is currently in the hands of the court prosecutor," he said.
"The victim's husband is not yet sure whether he will complain to the court - he simply asked us to help him find the reason why [hospital staff] refused to treat his wife."
Chhoun Makara said there were concerns that doctors and obstetricians at the hospital were more concerned about getting paid the health service fee than taking care of patients.
"I don't know if that's because they receive low salaries, but we need the Ministry of Health to examine this problem," he said.
"And if the court doesn't seriously investigate and find out why treatment wasn't free, then it will be a waste of time."
Charges denied
The hospital's head of obstetrics, Luy Chantha, confirmed that the police had questioned her and three staff, and said she would rely on the hospital director to assist them in the event of a trial.
"They said we must tell the truth, but I don't know what to tell them. We didn't ask the couple for money and we gave them our best attention," she said.
"We didn't act in the way the husband said and we always help people, especially the poor. So I don't know how to answer this."
Battambang court prosecutor Koy Chanya said that he was still waiting on the police report and would make a decision once he received it.
Vorn Yoeub, 37, died on Sunday night due to complications in labour, reportedly after obstetrics staff refused treatment unless her husband paid US$25 in fees. Her death prompted provincial Governor Y Chhien to order an investigation. The hospital has denied the allegations of negligence.
Adhoc coordinator Chhoun Makara said the provincial prosecutor in neighbouring Battambang province, which hears court cases for both provinces, instructed police in Pailin to interview hospital staff.
"I cannot assess what the result will be because the case is currently in the hands of the court prosecutor," he said.
"The victim's husband is not yet sure whether he will complain to the court - he simply asked us to help him find the reason why [hospital staff] refused to treat his wife."
Chhoun Makara said there were concerns that doctors and obstetricians at the hospital were more concerned about getting paid the health service fee than taking care of patients.
"I don't know if that's because they receive low salaries, but we need the Ministry of Health to examine this problem," he said.
"And if the court doesn't seriously investigate and find out why treatment wasn't free, then it will be a waste of time."
Charges denied
The hospital's head of obstetrics, Luy Chantha, confirmed that the police had questioned her and three staff, and said she would rely on the hospital director to assist them in the event of a trial.
"They said we must tell the truth, but I don't know what to tell them. We didn't ask the couple for money and we gave them our best attention," she said.
"We didn't act in the way the husband said and we always help people, especially the poor. So I don't know how to answer this."
Battambang court prosecutor Koy Chanya said that he was still waiting on the police report and would make a decision once he received it.
19 comments:
Something just doesn't seem right. The health staff claimed to have tried to provide the best care that they can possible give to the couple. Yet, a woman was denied health care and died with her unborn child. Like I said before, no matter what the circumstance, whether the couple had money at that very moment or not, the wife should have been able to be given birth. It was a matter of life and death. Those doctors, working in such a field, should be knowledgeable about medical ethics and have some ounce of humanity. I guess under Hun Sen, these doctors' salaries aren't enough or don't get paid in time by the government and so it lead them to become greedy.
i think this is a good case scenerio for medical school and law school, although it is never right to let a patient die like this. as sad as it was, it serves as a serious knockout or a serious wake up call for cambodia to do something about the healthcare system and perhaps the salary cap as well. it probably goes hand and hand in this case; and the price is a woman and her unborn child had to die as a result. i think cambodia needs to look into reforming its payroll system and also it professional ethic or code of conduct that stresses that a professional person(s) cannot refuse reservice to patient who especially needs urgent care like this woman who reportedly had a complication. it think it goes to show more than just "greed", it shows a lack of understanding and training and a weak system, perhaps. i also think the more cambodia is talking about it the likelihood something will be done to improve the situation so another person (s) don't have to go through this again. it is not right! and everybody must demand action to correct this inadequacy. this is how we all can make a difference to save lives when we do something about it! thank you and god bless cambodia.
If you voted for CPP (Cambodian People's Party):
Also known as:
Communist Party of Kampuchea
Khmer Revolution Party
Khmer Rouge Party
Khmer Krorhorm Party - គណបក្សខ្មែរក្រហម
You're support the killing of 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples from 1975 to 1979 in Cambodia.
You're support the killing at least twelve innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack in Cambodia.
You're support assassination of journalists in Cambodia.
You're support political assassination and killing in Cambodia.
You're support attempted assassination and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.
You're support corruptions in Cambodia.
You're support murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire).
You're support Hun Sen Regime burn poor people's house down to the ground and leave them homeless.
Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin was a former Khmer Rouge commanders.
Now, Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin are Khmer Rouge leaders, since their leader (Pol Pot) is dead.
From 1975 to 1979, these Khmer Rouge commanders responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples in Cambodia.
From 1980 to present, these Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for killing innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997, assassinated journalists, political assassination and killing, murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire) and attempted assassinate and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.
When is the ECCC going to bring these three criminals to U.N. Khmer Rouge Tribunal?
Khmer Rouge Regime is a genocide organization.
Hun Sen Regime is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Bodyguards is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Death Squad is a terrorist organization.
Cambodian People's Party is a terrorist organization.
I have declare the current Cambodian government which is lead by the Cambodian People's Party as a terrorist organization.
Whoever associate with the current Cambodian government are associate with a terrorist organization.
Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:
Torture
Execution
Massacre
Atrocities
War Crimes
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Abuses
Assault and Battery
Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Regime had committed:
Assassination
Murder
Killing
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Intimidation
Death Threat
Threatening
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Mass Evictions
Land Grabbing
Corruptions
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Acid Attacks
Injustice
Steal Votes
Violate the Constitution
These are the Trade Marks of Hun Sen's Khmer Rouge Regime.
Under Hun Sen Regime, no criminals that has been committed murder and all other crimes within Hun Sen's government ever been brought to justice.
Information change without notice as it become available.
12:21 am,
Thank you very much for you post your comments, everything you wrote it is truth.
Over 20 years Cambodia ruled by the uneducated government (CPP) turned the country to the lawless country and the poorest country in the world.
Corruption every corners from the grand corruption to street level of corruption on the lives of the poor.
The rich and powerful people abuse and lands grabbing from the poor.
This happen to the poor Cambodians everyday lives.
Half a million Cambodians currently lack of food.
Nearly 80 percent of Cambodians live under poverty line.
Cambodia is rated the world’s 18th most-corrupt country by Transparency International, which publishes the world’s leading corruption measure.
As long as these CPP gangsters rule the country Cambodia will fade away from the world map.
As sad as it is, this is very common in the smaller towns and remote areas of Cambodia. If the woman was in Phnom Penh, the doctors and members of the health care staff would have operated on her child birth first and the monetary issues would come last. In the small towns such as Pailin, many of the medical staff either have very small salaries or their salaries are months in delay due to provincial and national government corruption. This results in the doctors becoming greedy and turning patients away.
THAT'S AH KWACK HUN XEN COUNTRY RULE BY STINKY MOUTH AND CORRUPTION!
We all human,no metter what first the doctor and nurse need to save people life. If they have no compassion to the patients, they should be punish by Law.
Two life been cought with the publice and how many more victim that we don't no. Khmer Rough and Hun Sen it is the same regime.
All the Hospital in Cambodia are most like that! if you don't have money they did not paid much attentions, you have to wait for along time to be able to see the doctors, those who came with a car are always get to the doctor first, but when it come to your turn the doctors are busy with this? or with that? i've been there...
doctors and nurse in cambodia their attitude higher than all king on this earth!
4:14AM is right! i'm tell you guy, them doc or nurse in cambodia they are rude too and attude! yep, agree!
Bonary killed for blind DICK!!!!!
Bonary killed for blind DICK!!!!!
The hospital's head of obstetrics, Luy Chantha "We didn't act in the way the husband said and we always help people, especially the poor. So I don't know how to answer this."
= Luy Chantha is a fucken liar! Now if the damn hospital claimed to help and why the fuck this woman and her unborn baby have to die? This is greed! This is medical negligence! This is incompetent!
At least save the unborn child but no they won't! Damn them all to hell!
if no legal action again this care providers, this problem will continue to spread over the country. No other reason than they need to save the mother and baby lives because they were under life threatthening. Do not ask much. Just ask why they did not operate and why not refer? stupid attitude happend across all public sectors. are these not a system failure? or leadership failure?
if some people can't pay up front, have them pay by installment plan, but shouldn't let them die like this! these healthcare providers shouldn't be working in this field if they don't want to do their job!
Pailin authority should uses E Chhean and Eang Vuth's law to deal with those Thmil medical staffs, putting them in one pit together, if Hun Sen's law is not effective. We heard over and over again they mistreat the poor.
Pailin authority should uses E Chhean and Eang Vuth's law to deal with those Thmil medical staffs, putting them in one pit together, if Hun Sen's law is not effective. We heard over and over again they mistreat the poor.
I just came back from Maung Russei this month, Feb. '09. My mom-in-law had to beg on her knees in order for the OB/GYN to do the C-section. If she didn't pay upfront, my sis-in-law would die from the birth complications.
It's nothing new in Cambodia; this is how the Khmer society now function. Survival of the fitness, the disable, the feeble, the mangler, young, and old will be cast away from the mainstream of Hun Sen's Management Teamsters!
another thing too, people should plan ahead, if they know in advance there will be complication, head to the nearest provincial hospital or phnom penh, don't wait until the last minute. but again, cambodia is poor, no emergency helicopter, ambulance, etc..., especially in the rural area. maybe that can change in the future.
another thing, this is an isolated case, the medical staff should do everything they can to save the life of the mother and baby, but it sounded like they were neglegent in this case.
This is not first time. In province, poor people will not get treated if they don't have money even in emergency case like this unfortunate woman. At hospital, nurses, doctor demand for money, and if they don't have, they will not care about them. My cousin felt of the truck while she was on her way to go harvest rice at the filed, we took her to Monkul Borei clinic. They asked if she has money to pay, but she didn't have for what they asked for, then they send her to another hospital where. But there, the same, they ask for money, and they would not treat her as soon as possible, she die day after. Another case, my sister in law, she had gallstone and needed to have surgery, she has been so sick and lost w.t to 37kg. We sent her to clinic, again they asked if we have money to pay for surgery (about 500$ and extra charge for bed). This is a lot of money for villager, they have no saving or anything. After, rice harvest, all the money are paid back to the chinese to pay back debts. So because she had no money, they didn't accept her, but she indeed needed to look after or she die because of pain. When i know this, i tried to help her using what every i have to help her to come to Phnom Penh where she got treated by private clinic, surprisingly we paid cheaper than what they asked in village.
In the case of this woman, i believe those doctor did ask for money, and because they didn't have, those didn't help her. some doctors are like leeches, blood sucker has no heart. It is everywhere in Cambodia, corrupt in every levels. It disgusts me, and i don't know why prime minister is not ashamed of himself running country like this. Of course, every countries has corruption, but Cambodia is far worse.
As a cambodian, i love my country and my people, i hope young and educated one would stand up and change the future of cambodia, care about its own people and country.
God bless Cambodia
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