Village Doctor in Cambodia Infected 280 People with HIV

Cambodia has its own style of medical treatment, which almost everyone that sees a doctor or come to a hospital will be given an injection or intravenous drip. However, with so many unlicensed doctors treat the patient, a health risk is imminent. An unlicensed doctor in Roka village, Northwest of Cambodia contracted 280 people with HIV and now is sentenced to prison.

According to Phnom Penh Post, presiding judge Yich Chheanavy sentenced the village doctor, Yem Chrin to 25 years in prison on December 3, after being found guilty by Battambang Provincial Court of "torture with aggravating circumstances" for infecting hundreds of people with HIV. The 56-years old Yem Chrin had been a village doctor for almost two decades and he was arrested in December last year after local authorities detected an epidemic of HIV in the village.

Yem Chrin learnt a medical practice in a refugee camp, and for more than two decades he has been a village doctor in the Roka village. Although he was an unlicensed medical practitioner, village residents often came to him for medical treatment. Giving injection to patient and sometimes with an intravenous drip is a common medical practice in Cambodia, that include a practice Yem Chrin most often did.

The outbreak was found when a 74-year old man from Roka village was tested HIV positive in November last year. Later on, more people from children as young as two and old people were tested HIV positive in the village. The number reached to staggering 280 people infected.

However, Cambodia Daily reported that key evidence to case still trailed behind the verdict. According to Institut Pasteur, that has studied the HIV epidemic in Roka since the last year's outbreak, the tests have not yet completed genetic sequencing of the HIV in Roka. Such test will be able to determine the genetic source and possible origins of the virus.

Dr. Didier Fontenille, director of Institut Pasteur told Cambodia Daily about the importance to find the source of infection, "What we want to know is if there is a high diversity of viruses in Roka or if almost all the viruses are almost the same, which means having an almost unique source," he added, "We expect to finish the sequencing and analyses in the next weeks, or at least one or two months,"

BBC reported that the mass outbreak shocked the country. One foreigner who has worked in Cambodia's health sector for years said that there is a general lack of knowledge about infection control throughout the country's healthcare system. Therefore she said, "I would say there are many more Rokas in Cambodia."

Cambodia has many unlicensed doctors who practice medical service, including administering injection. It is important for government to oversee the medical practice to prevent reoccurrence of the cases.