Travel to Prey VengOct 13, 2009
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We are traveling today to the smaller village. I will have more limited internet access (none). I am excited to see the house where Debbie and John (the Nurse Practitioner and doctor that I'll stay with for the month) live. They grow all their own vegetables and raise chickens. They also have their own well.
I had dinner with Debbie last night by the Mekong River. She has a kind demeanor and is very easy to talk to, two traits that make it likely that my stay with her will be lovely. We talked about the study that she has started and about healthcare in general in Cambodia. The motto at Mayo is that, "the patient comes first." It seems that as you leave the idyllic walls of Mayo, that motto doesn't always hold. For example, she told me a story of a woman with a foot infection who she sent to a hospital. She knew the doctor at the hospital and was assuming that the woman would be treated. Five days later, the doctor called her to tell her that he didn't have IV antibiotics but that Debbie could pay for them out-of-pocket. Debbie agreed; two days later, a total of seven days from the referral to the hospital, the doctor called again. He said that since Debbie had not personal delivered the antibiotics, the woman had not received them.
One quick note about my taxi driver last night...He wanted to practice his English, so we talked all the way to the hotel. He pointed out temples and explained a bit about Khmer (Cambodian culture). He told me that last month, he only made $40. He is the primary breadwinner for his wife, their 6 month old son, and his father and mother. He explained that his family last month ate only rice and water in order to purchase formula for his son. He told me about Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime and showed me his scars, one on his neck and one on his forearm. He is part Chinese with Chinese relatives so on his dashboard, he had what he described as the Cambodian Buddha and the Chinese Buddha. The Chinese Buddha was much fatter and laughing. Symbolic?
Alright, time for breakfast then four hours of travel. Yes, four hours to travel 100 miles. Welcome to Cambodia.
