Cambodian healthcare system facing a ‘dual practice’ dilemma
After picking up her graduation certificate from Cambodia’s University of Health Sciences in mid-October, 24-year-old Soth Yanuth is now able to begin work in healthcare following six years of study.
“I think I could get experience from the public [sector] better than in private,” she said.
Yet Yanuth’s future salary as a civil servant is likely insufficient to cover the costs of living in Phnom Penh, based on WHO figures and other studies. One option she and other health civil servants have is to supplement their income with additional work at private clinics, which is known as “dual practice.”
“In public [hospitals], there’s a lot of shifts between doctors and in one shift there’s a lot of doctors,” Yanuth said. “So they could spare some time in the private clinic.”
JACK BROOK
