Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Cambodia Struggles With Maternal Deaths

Vorn Yoeun died with her unborn child still in her stomach because her husband did not have money to pay what a journalist of the Koh Santepheap called the "animal-doctors" who refused to give her the surgery she needed to deliver her baby (Photo: Koh Santepheap)

By Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
24 March 2009


One night last week, Mith Saron, 48, and his pregnant wife, Vorn Yeoun, 38, went to a referral hospital in Pailin.

Vorn Yeoun was ready to give birth, Mith Saron said in a recent interview, but the hospital attendants refused to admit her without a $25 delivery fee. It was around 10 pm, so Mith Saron promised to pay the next morning. Still an attendant asked for $1.25 to call in a team of doctors. Mith Saron did not have that much money.

The attendant, who said he was poor too, did not call the doctors. By morning, Mith Saron, said, Vorn Yeoun and her unborn child were dead.

For all its development over the past few years, Cambodia has been unable to lower its maternal death rate. Its death rate was higher in 2005 than in 1997.

“Five women per day die giving life,” Douglas Broderick, UN resident coordinator, told members of the National Assembly last week. The figure has remained the same since 2000, he said.

Cambodia had 473 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2005, an increase from 437 in 100,000 in 1997, according to the most recent government figures.

The increasing number of deaths is above the average for developing countries, and, Broderick said, is the highest number in Southeast Asia.

But not all maternal deaths are the fault of doctors or hospitals, said Nhiek Bun Chop, head of Battambang province’s health department. Some women ignore prenatal care, making their pregnancies more difficult, sometimes dying as a result, he said.

Krouy Leang Sim, undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Health, said the government is trying to make sure every woman is able to deliver at health centers, which improve odds for survival.

The ministry is setting up a national network of houses, where women who are expecting to give birth but live far from medical centers can stay.

Still, some health officials say Cambodia will not meet its development goals, if the pace of improvement for women giving birth does not increase.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah Kwack want only Youn to be borned!

Anonymous said...

My heart go to this family and other victims all over Cambodia. Somebody please do something to help those less fortunate Khmer.
Shame on the communist!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Our khmer people need to gadering hanve a good communication and rebuild a gread Leadership, specialy our people that are living in the US, Canada, French, Australia and soewhere out around the Globe, and we will be supporting the people in the Country.

We all know Hun Sen Regime it never change, they kill their own people with out a chame, and we the one have power to fight back for our Nation. If we all strong and stope device khmer and khmer "We all Khmer" please think about that. Not oneday can change but we can make that happen. Dont forget Hun Sen is a former Khmer Rouge.

Kaun Khmer in bloode

Anonymous said...

cambodia needs to overhaul the healthcare system so preventable birth complication like this can be addressed and improved for the life of the mother and the child. this kind of problem cannot be ignored by gov't any longer. thank you and god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Cambodia needs overhaul of everything. Religion and morality has gone down the sewage since Pol Pot. There is now only business greed and no compassion.

No Buddha or anything. It disgust me that these same people who refuse to save a life are also people who burn incense, pray and pretend to be spiritual!

Khmer people wake up. Money is what divides us.

Anonymous said...

Every time a child or mother dies. the real killer is Hun Sen

Anonymous said...

I wonder what happend to that doc and the fucken bitch nurse? Aren't they do anything to them at all?

Anonymous said...

I am shocked to hear this news.... This family did not have $25 and two lives have been lost. where is humanity/dignity of Khmer people?

Anonymous said...

This is another obvious indicator of the rectangular strategy one of which is "poverty elimination".

Imagine how rich/poor is that family. They can not afford US$25 to pay for delivery fee and even US$1.25 for the phone call.

No need to talk about the attendant and other medical staffs in that health center as we all know how in-humanitarian they are though they claimed that they are also poor.

Anonymous said...

A country that has been led by the animal-and-evil spirited monkeys.

Anonymous said...

this could only happen in the stone age era. why is cambodia letting this happen like this in this day and age? this is uncalled for! we're talking about saving lives, here! this is like a deja vu to the KR era again for this family! what a nightmare for them! this is unacceptable anywhere on the planet!

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

If you vote for Ah Scam Rainxy, you only have yourself to blame.

Anonymous said...

11:08 AM, is a dumb a.. hole!

love khmer said...

ANIMAL DOCTOR..DOG NURSE. ONE DAY U WILL DIE LIKE A DOG!!