US army doctors providing free medical care on 09 June 2010 (Photo: Ouk Savborey, RFA)10 June 2010
By Ouk Savborey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from French by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer
US army and Cambodian army doctors have cooperated to provide medical care for people living in Kandal province, however, the provincial authority ordered this humanitarian action to be moved to another location.
The Kandal provincial authority created obstacle for US doctors who volunteered to provide free medical care inside the Pung Peng Cheng center [KI-Media note: Mr. Pung Peng Cheng was a former minister in the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime, he is also the father of Dr. Pung Chiv Kek], located in Wat Pothisat Pagoda, Kandal Stung district. The authority ordered the doctors to move their operation from the Pung Peng Cheng center to Wat Obolchoutnaram Pagoda which is located about 6 km from the original location. This obstacle took place on Wednesday 09 June 2010.
An anonymous provincial official said about this order that: “The change is due to the fact that the Wat Pothisat health center is an illegal clinic, therefore, it has be moved here instead.”
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, the organizer of the free medical care said after the order was issued to prevent the medical care: “I regret this. People traveled here since yesterday, and they came to sleep here overnight. When I got here this morning, I saw more than one thousand of them who were waiting. Then they told them to go to another pagoda instead!”
After Ben, a US embassy official who declined to interview with RFA and who cooperated with Licadho, contacted the Kandal provincial authority to ask the authorization from the provincial governor, at about 10AM, the authorization was provided for the medical care operation to be moved to Wat Obolchoutnaram Pagoda – aka Wat Phnoun Pagoda – located in Kandal Stung district, but at a distance of 6 km away from Wat Pothisat Pagoda.
Hundreds of villagers from Kampong Speu, Kandal and Takeo province had to queue up to get their number and they had to wait until 2PM before the medical care started.
22 US army doctors and 15 Cambodian army doctors volunteered to provide eye care, dental care and general medicine care to Cambodian people inside Wat Phnoun Pagoda following the obstacle set by the authority.
Following his medical care, a patient from Takeo province indicated: “The US doctors gave me medicines for foot pain, vitamins, toothbrush, tooth paste, and even a backpack…”
The free medical care will last 3 days from 09 to 11 June. The US army doctors have prepared medicines and materials to be distributed to about 1,000 patients per day. They distributed pills, serum fluid that last for a week and they also handed out materials for use by the patient also.
The Kandal provincial authority created obstacle for US doctors who volunteered to provide free medical care inside the Pung Peng Cheng center [KI-Media note: Mr. Pung Peng Cheng was a former minister in the Sangkum Reastr Niyum regime, he is also the father of Dr. Pung Chiv Kek], located in Wat Pothisat Pagoda, Kandal Stung district. The authority ordered the doctors to move their operation from the Pung Peng Cheng center to Wat Obolchoutnaram Pagoda which is located about 6 km from the original location. This obstacle took place on Wednesday 09 June 2010.
An anonymous provincial official said about this order that: “The change is due to the fact that the Wat Pothisat health center is an illegal clinic, therefore, it has be moved here instead.”
Dr. Pung Chiv Kek, the organizer of the free medical care said after the order was issued to prevent the medical care: “I regret this. People traveled here since yesterday, and they came to sleep here overnight. When I got here this morning, I saw more than one thousand of them who were waiting. Then they told them to go to another pagoda instead!”
After Ben, a US embassy official who declined to interview with RFA and who cooperated with Licadho, contacted the Kandal provincial authority to ask the authorization from the provincial governor, at about 10AM, the authorization was provided for the medical care operation to be moved to Wat Obolchoutnaram Pagoda – aka Wat Phnoun Pagoda – located in Kandal Stung district, but at a distance of 6 km away from Wat Pothisat Pagoda.
Hundreds of villagers from Kampong Speu, Kandal and Takeo province had to queue up to get their number and they had to wait until 2PM before the medical care started.
22 US army doctors and 15 Cambodian army doctors volunteered to provide eye care, dental care and general medicine care to Cambodian people inside Wat Phnoun Pagoda following the obstacle set by the authority.
Following his medical care, a patient from Takeo province indicated: “The US doctors gave me medicines for foot pain, vitamins, toothbrush, tooth paste, and even a backpack…”
The free medical care will last 3 days from 09 to 11 June. The US army doctors have prepared medicines and materials to be distributed to about 1,000 patients per day. They distributed pills, serum fluid that last for a week and they also handed out materials for use by the patient also.
