Healthcare System in Cambodia
By Tith Sreypin, Santhor Mok GEP 10

The healthcare system in Cambodia is very poor and it is also one of the reasons the government faces difficulty in developing the country. A huge amount of healthcare workers are treating patients poorly and many are not qualified to work in healthcare. This is significantly affecting the healthcare system. Healthcare workers are not well-trained and there are not enough facilities. However, there are solutions which could be implemented.

One of the problems affecting the healthcare system is that healthcare workers are not well-educated to work because there is corruption and cheating in the exams. As a result, when they treat patients they make mistakes and hurt patients. People that know do not trust hospitals or health centres and fly to other countries for treatment. One possible solution is for the government to stop corruption in exams. It might be hard to enforce, but it would help to make sure healthcare workers have the necessary education.

Another problem that affects the healthcare system is there are not enough facilities so it is difficult for students to study and healthcare workers can not treat patients well. Students do not get much practice and experience. They only have information or theories, but they can not do anything when they go to work. One solution is that the government should donate or provide more facilities to every healthcare centre or school to improve students’ abilities. While it would require a big investment, if the government did it, it would help students and healthcare workers in their study or work, and they would get a standard of education they need for their jobs.

The problems of the healthcare system in Cambodia can not be solved easily or quickly, but I strongly believe that if the government could stop corruption, there would be well-educated students and qualified practitioners. The government also needs to provide more facilities to health centres in order to let students practice real situations, not just in books, so they can become extremely important and a good human resource for developing the healthcare system in Cambodia.