Caring for Cambodian Patients

1. This information is included as a tool to facilitate cross-cultural awareness. All points mentioned are generalizations only. Cambodians vary greatly in their backgrounds, coming from different generation groups (some directly affected by the 1970s tumult, others much less so), people groups (Khmer, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cham, Hill-Tribes), socioeconomic status, and location (urban vs. rural).

2. Like many developing countries, Cambodia has a dual healthcare system: a national system (50% of whose budget is provided through international aid) and a private system. The national system is broken down by provinces (22) and Operational Districts (ODs) in those provinces (usually 2 or 3). Care is centered around outpatient Health Centers (eg, 10 in an OD) and inpatient Referral Hospitals (RH) (1 per OD). HCs are usually managed by a nurse and are responsible for immunizations; they receive a MPA (Minimum Package of Activities) to dispense some (usually very limited) medication to patients with complaints. RHs are managed by doctors with supporting staff, and are best suited for treatment of basic infectious diseases (EG, Pneumonia/ARI, Dengue Fever, Malaria, TB); they provide minimum (usually inadequate) courses of oral medicine post-hospitalization.