Khmer News- Cambodian economy
Official fees at Teuk Thla Referral Hospital
A woman was walking out of a table of physicians and holding her 9-month son towards her husband who was waiting and sitting on motorcycle. And then she approached her husband and she said to his husband with angry face that “those nurses are not polite, when I asked them about how to use medicine for our son.”
I heard these words on my own ears when I was waiting for my sister who took her son to get vaccine. This story also reminded me when I took my daughter to get vaccine at public health center in Phnom Penh. It was the first time that I and my wife knew nothing about. Normally, I really need good advice from health officials. When asked a female official to tell me about how to use pills for my daughter in case she is sick and then she did saying nothing. She was likely not to hear anything. And then I felt angry but I did not react to her. Fortunately, a woman who also took her daughter to get vaccine told me how to use them.
In reality, friend of mine used to tell me to pay any money for health officials. Normally, this vaccine is freely injected by not paying any cent to officials. My friend also told me that he used to pay health officials at least 20,000 riel ($5) one time and then those officials greeted him friendly and gave good advices. In fact, I know this way but I thought that I do not need to it because it is the public service that helps Cambodian people, especially baby.
In order to reduce corruption in health sector, I always noticed that the official fees are legally fixed on the wall for showing all fees to health service users. Publicly published fee is better informed than unpublished fees but unofficial fees could not cut down.
By the way, there are many reasons that users of health care center think that they used their own money for giving health officials are for expressing thanks to officials for service provided, building good relations for the future services and quickening the service process. But sometimes, they paid unofficial fees because health officials asked for payment.
Other thoughts, in order to eliminate unofficial fee, the government have to increase their adequate salary. If not, asking for additional unofficial fee will not be stopped.
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It is hard to reduce corruption in Cambodia because leaders are corrupt.
As a westerner living in PP I am continually amazed at how frequently I see and have to give in to corrupt motives here. To think that the warning I was given to never go to Cambodian health care was first about the poor services now also extends to that being further reduced due to greed and poor management saddens me greatly! I hope there can be change soon!