Bridport teenager 'died after treatment delays' in Cambodia

[geovalin]

The parents of an 18-year-old who died while travelling in his gap year said he was "badly let down" by Cambodian authorities.

 

Kit Mallinson, from Bridport, Dorset, was taken ill with pneumonia on a night bus journey to Siem Reap in December and died later in hospital. An inquest into his death was told he was initially taken to a public hospital with inadequate facilities.

 

The coroner concluded the delay in treatment contributed to his death. The inquest heard Mr Mallinson had been travelling in the country having already spent seven weeks as a Raleigh International volunteer in Borneo.

 

read more http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-41320093

 

-- © Copyright BBC 20/09

[Tarteso]

Sadly, it's happen every days in this poor country. R.I.P. Young boy..

 

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/health-care-cambodia

[losername]

57 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

Sadly, it's happen every days in this poor country. R.I.P. Young boy..

 

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/health-care-cambodia

I don't doubt what you say but, for those who are interested, the link is to an article written in 1990. That could be a bit out of date.

[Tarteso]

2 hours ago, losername said:

I don't doubt what you say but, for those who are interested, the link is to an article written in 1990. That could be a bit out of date.

 

 

Disconcerted by the boy's death, I wanted to find information about the health system in Cambodia, without looking at the date of publication, I.... copy and paste... thanks for your warning and excuses for the fatal error.. 

 

The Cambodian population and healthcare system struggles with many diseases commom to the Tropics, in particular in rural areas, in adiction mainutrition of children has long been a major problem.

 

HIV, became and increasing problem since 1998. The public health care system has a high priority from the Cambodian Government and now with international help and assistance,

 

"Actually" agencies working in Cambodia indentify mayor health problems somewhat diferently, focusing on diarreal diseases, acuty respiratory infection, Malaria and Dengue fever. and chidhoods illnesses, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis veneral diseases. yaws and instestinal worms are commom as well and persistent public health issues in the poor system of health and reading again the actuallity is improving slowly in the last 20 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

Actually the article does not say he was taken to a public hospital with inadequate facilities. It says  "he had been found unresponsive and the bus company called for a private ambulance, but the crew refused to take him because they did not have his insurance documents, despite them being in his rucksack."

 

I am familiar with the Seam Reap Provincial Hospital. It has adequate facilities to treat pneumonia and other infectious diseases.  That said, in both public and private  hospitals in Cambodia, it is not unusual for care to be given slowly, delays encountered because staff are asleep (if at night), on a meal break etc. Even in an emergency they take their time. Quite different from the west. It is not an issue of "facilities"  -- they have the neeeded number of staff and the drugs,m and the equipment -- but of work ethics/medical ethics.

 

It is also quite common in Cambodia for patients to be denied care unless they can pay up front -- even at government hospitals and even in an emergency.

 

But the article seems to suggest that in this case it was in transport to the hospital that the delay occurred.