Cambodia:Episode Three

by Nik Munirah Nik Mohd Nasir

Wednesday 2 August 2006
Ngengke?’ ‘Motom?’

8 o’clock sharp and Dr Sulaiman and his crew was already waiting in the lobby of Mekong Hotel.

Our next destination was Kampong Pontien. It was about an hour’s drive from our accommodation. We were greeted by the sun’s sharp glare as we quickly set up the clinic, tables and all. The villagers were already waiting for us; the huge crowd sitting and standing around the mosque had sparked the feeling of both excitement and fear. Today is our first clinic. Will we survive?

I was in the group managing the registration for the clinic. It was a bit chaotic at first, we thought it is better to take down all the information needed for our questionnaire when we do the registration but Dr Sulaiman did not agree as it was holding up the line. Finally we agreed to leave the questionnaire at the consultation station.

There was 4 stations altogether. The first was registration, then they go on to take their blood pressure reading and if they are children, their height and weight will be recorded instead. Only then they will go to the consultation station and later to the dispensing station for their medication.

And amidst all this bustling activities, the khatan session was going on\n at a corner of the mosque.

This is where knowing a few basic words from the Cham language come in handy.

Since all we had to do at the registration station was to jot down the name and age of the person, a translator would be far more useful in the consultation station instead of the registration station especially when there is only a few of them around. (Since Tisom is a pharmacy student, naturally she was assigned to help out with the dispensary, explaining to the villagers on how to take their medication, while Azie and Fatimah helped out with the consultation station)

So we had to learn how to say a few words in their language, mainly to ask their name and age.

At first it was a bit awkward, especially when just as you’ve thought you’ve nailed it- all you get in return was a blank stare instead. Or worst, a laugh!

Ngengke’? (name?)
Motom? (age?)

(If this is a communication skills exam, I’d surely fail!)

Fortunately you can understand numbers in their language-it is nearly the same as the malay language except for a few. For example, eleven, in their language is pronounced as, ‘puluh-sa’ and three, is pronounced as ‘klau’.

I had trouble at first understanding this, but fortunately we have the power of sign language. When I was unsure of what they were saying, I just held up my fingers to confirm. 5, 4 ? 6, 3? (that is how I eventually figured out that ‘klau’ means three)

The clinic was busy the whole morning. We had to put the brakes to the registration station as they were too many people already awaiting consultation. From the crowd of people surrounding me awaiting to register I could spot my fellow team mates busily managing patients non stop. Some even made their abode on the floor, happily pumping the blood pressure cuff away.

After a while, one of my teammates came over to relief me from the never ending crowd. Well, not exactly relieving, as I was then thrown into a different crowd. A never ending one as well, nevertheless.

Many of them had headaches and eyesight problem, very likely that those two are related. Since they could not get their eyesight corrected, they end up getting headaches. And what could we, as those who run this clinic give them as a solution? Free glasses?

Or when a lady came to complain to me about a headache that is worst on waking up, and when she prostate during prayers. Vomits. Could she ever rule out that there is no mass growing in her head before its too late? Even if she could, what could she then do if there was indeed a mass growing in her head? Would she have money for surgery? Would she have money for follow up treatments?

Things does look pretty bleak at first, especially coming from someone who was trained in a country where patient’s right to treatment is put at such a high pedestal. Where a patient could actually bring you to court if you refuse to give her the treatment she wants. Where even the poorest of the poor could have access to basic health care facilities.

But here, they have no such luxury...

I met a young girl of 12 who eventually helped me to translate the villager’s complaint to me. Her name is Siti and she lived in Malaysia before for a few months. It was really cute, while she was sitting with me to help me translate, other children came over and surrounded me as well, perhaps just as curious to see what their friend was doing, talking to this big strange lady speaking another language.

By late afternoon, we've run out of medicine and had to close down the clinic.

Tired, yet satisfied. Sad, yet hopeful..

"And strive hard in Allah's Cause as you ought to strive. He has chosen you and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship. it is the religion of your father Ibrahim. It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (the Quran), that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind. So perform As-Salat, give Zakat and hold fast to Allah. He is your Maula ( Patron, Lord), and what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord) and what an Excellent Helper! "(22:78)

to be continued...