28 April 2009By Ung Chansophea
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French
The Battambang deputy prosecutor summoned hospital staffs who left a pregnant woman to die on 15 March 2009 because she did not have the money to pay for the care.
Six Pailin hospital staffs are summoned on 19 May to present themselves to the Battambang tribunal in a case involving Van Yoeun.
Ang Neang, the deputy director of the Pailin hospital, who was on duty during the death, is among those who are summoned.
In the evening of 15 March, Mith Saron, a man who lost his right foot, drove Van Yoeun, his pregnant wife to the hospital because she suffered intense pain. Because he did not have the 100,000 riels ($25) that was requested from him, Mith Saron suffered the following sarcasm from the hospital staff: “How do you dare come to the hospital?”
Due to lack of medical care, Van Yoeun died at 5AM on that day.
While her husband did not want to bring this case to court, Koy Kanya, the Battambang deputy prosecutor, looked into the case and he sent out summons without giving any detail in the case involved.
“It must be about that pregnant woman,” said Chhorn Makara, the Adhoc NGO coordinator in Pailin. “Following the death of the patient, the police questioned the hospital staff and they had an order signed by Koy Kanya. If there was any consequence in this affair, it is normal that he [the prosecutor] looks into this case. He told me personally that it was a flagrante delicto case.”
Six Pailin hospital staffs are summoned on 19 May to present themselves to the Battambang tribunal in a case involving Van Yoeun.
Ang Neang, the deputy director of the Pailin hospital, who was on duty during the death, is among those who are summoned.
In the evening of 15 March, Mith Saron, a man who lost his right foot, drove Van Yoeun, his pregnant wife to the hospital because she suffered intense pain. Because he did not have the 100,000 riels ($25) that was requested from him, Mith Saron suffered the following sarcasm from the hospital staff: “How do you dare come to the hospital?”
Due to lack of medical care, Van Yoeun died at 5AM on that day.
While her husband did not want to bring this case to court, Koy Kanya, the Battambang deputy prosecutor, looked into the case and he sent out summons without giving any detail in the case involved.
“It must be about that pregnant woman,” said Chhorn Makara, the Adhoc NGO coordinator in Pailin. “Following the death of the patient, the police questioned the hospital staff and they had an order signed by Koy Kanya. If there was any consequence in this affair, it is normal that he [the prosecutor] looks into this case. He told me personally that it was a flagrante delicto case.”
20 comments:
Why????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Very sad, unforgiveabl these hospital staff should be jailed immediatly,I have seen this bad attitute of Khmer nurses and doctors throughout the country which has put the money first instead of their patient's life. they forget no matter what their job as a life saver!
These corrupt hospital staff must be sacked and punished by laws- prison term.
Some of the staffs are so inhumane toward the poor. The gov’t should enforce some regulations on them so they don’t make mistake or intentionally murdering the patient for lack of payment ability. Their job is to help not kill!
I think this stupid clinic need to be shut -down, because clinic open
is to take care the sick once,who need help.
Thank for prosecutor of Pailin to look into this problem. and will much more grateful if the hospital staff are sentenced in jail in order to let people know the worse mankind of doctor of hospital staff
The strong and rich men are survived while the weak and poor are died, are the hapenings only on the poor khmer poeple sience 1970s. Life is realy cheap.
where was their professionalism? this career field required a noble duty to save life first. what medical school did they go to? the school has the duty to train these health workers the medical code of ethics. this is unheard of anywhere in the world. everyone should talk about it in medical school all over the world. her husband sounds like he doesn't know what's he's doing either. this was her life, not his; she and the baby are dead, you know. this is so uncalled for in this day and age. people only saw this during the KR era and now again? unacceptable, period! no amount of money can bring her and her baby back to life! she's unrelated to me, but i can feel for her pain and suffering before she died. this woman was helpless, the worse case scenerio anyone would hope they do not experienced, especially pregnant women all over the world, to say the least!
Similar to a fire department which won't spray water on your house unless paid first.
this is so outrageous! nobody in their right mind would do this is a pregnant and helpless woman. she apparantly had complication, and nobody in the hospital would do anything to save her life. imagine if this were to happen in the USA for example, my god, this hospital would be out of business and professional licenses would be confiscated and people would be sued, etc... this can only happen in cambodia. very uncalled for anywhere in the world!
This should be brought up as a case study in any study of medical code of ethic. I wonder if such code is ever taught at all in the medical school in Cambodia... omg! this is about "money first" instead of "save life first"... sad sad
This all begins with a corrupt government. When people don't earn enough income, they do whatever to make more money. Money comes first for them which causes trouble not just others but also themselves at the end. It's a must learn lesson for all the workers in both rich and poor nations.
Corrupt hospital,fire fighter,police and every agency in CAMBODIA are not here to serve the poor. NO MONEY NO SERVICE.life is cheap here.
My first reaction after reading the news is, like many others, of course to put those hospital's staff, including the management of the hospital in jail. However, taking a step back, I realize the question of accountability and a vicious circle of institutional corruption within the system in Cambodian society. Of course, the victim's family deserve some compensation and justice. But the question is who has to pay for that? For this kind of story not to be repeated, law on corruption and a top-down approach measures have to be taken and passed to find justice for the victim.
Honestly, I had an experience in Siem Reap provincial hospital. I took a patient (one of the beggars in Siem Reap area) to hospital, the doctors and nurses on duty that night they didn't care, I saw many patients were already waiting for the doctors, I asked patients around where are the doctors, they said doctors are in that room. How long have been waiting here? they said since about 5pm (i arrived at 8.30pm). What are doctors doing there? they came out a few times just looked at us and went back without checking or answering any patients' questions but screaming at them. I went to the room, patients warned me, no no no don't go, doctors are very meant. I knocked the door, they didn't open, then I pushed the door, they were playing card. I talked nicely, but they scolded me, then I was very angry. As soon as I said I will compliant to the hospital committee who I know very well. Then, they came out of the room quickly and did their jobs.
The patients who have already been waiting, they were so happy, appreciated me heart-fully. They asked me, are you a son of officials?
I believe there are million cases like this happen in everywhere in the country, they just don't know or dicourage to speak out.
Please H.E, minister of health, takes care such practice.
Thanks
they only start this case just to make it look good in the eyes of Human Right, but this case will die soon due to power of corruptions.
Just like the trial of the top 5 Khmer rouge assholes. The only one will allow to get thru this trial is Duch, other will all dies before their case is even starts. remember my words.
I agree with 6:38 most of staffs in the hostpital take no responsiblity for their job, they think only money.
Similarly, most of the truck drivers also take no responsility to the bystanders or other pedestrians. They drives the truck very fast even in the crowded areas. What the drivers know is "hit and run"
It is real នេះមិនមែនកំហុសទាំងស្រុងធ្លាក់
ទៅលើវេជ្ជបណ្ឌិតនឹងគ្រូពេទ្យទាំងនោះទេ
យើងត្រូវដាក់កំហុសនេះទៅលើ ហុន សែន ដែល
មិនព្រមបញ្ជេញ ច្បាប់បំបាត់អំពើពុករលួយ។
-ហើយនឹងផ្នែកប្រព័ន្ធតុលាការមិនអនុវត្តឲ្យបាន
ត្រឹមត្រូវ៕
Yes, law enforcement should have taken.
this case should and ought to apply to all in cambodia and the world as well. no one should put money before a patient's life, you know. after reading all the comments above, i think that why it's important that every profession required some sort of code of ethics training in each career field, especially those that deal with the public trust, people's life, etc, etc, like firefighter, police, healthcare providers, mail man, gov't job, etc, etc, the list goes on. you know in the west, take the USA, for example, people have to pass an oral and written tests before they are granted license to practice medicine and/or given a job mentioned above. cambodia ought to apply the same rigorous, stringent, tough rules as well for these kind of job of saving life, public trust, etc... it is possible to do for cambodia; all it takes is understanding, education in the code of ethics adopted from the western nations, paradigm shift in thinking, etc... people in cambodia ought to be taught or remind that all human life is very precious and medical staff have the noble duty to do all they can to save life, no matter what. i hope something like this won't happen again to anyone in cambodia or on the planet for that matter.
Post a Comment