There is a generally dense and good network of rural clinics in Vietnam, and preventive services are better than average. But hygiene is still a major problem. Besides, for the poor, in case of disease or accident, the whole family may plunge into deep poverty.
In Cambodia curative and preventive services are much worse.
The villagers are often deprived of satisfying diagnosis and often at the mercy of crooks. Certain doctors dare to scare them: "You must undergo surgery immediately or I will not take any responsibility". The peasants are impressed and sell land and assets for an intervention which is not necessary! Mekong Plus proposes a second opinion from a friendly specialist in town.
Read the moving story of the courageous Thu (picture).
In the Khmer villages almost nobody has a clean latrine, access to clean water is very difficult, far away. In Vietnam, after 11 years of program in Dúc Linh, 25% of the households now have a clean latrine, and hygiene has increased tremendously.
A myth: there is no end to health interventions (and to scholarships etc.). Of course they do not bring immediate returns, they are not "refunded" like with a microcredit program. But what matters most, what development is about, is the well being of the people, not only their wallet or the projects funds.
