Susie on the warpath

Sue has made herself a woman of reputation this week. She got in a spat with a local hospital where staff are shamelessly ripping off the poor.

We had a critically ill woman, Rourn, arrive last week. She had tubercleosis (TB), pneumonia, a collapsed lung and maybe 20% capacity in lung two. And that is not counting a lupis-type disease wrecking her insides. The poor lady was gasping for breath. Her lovely, patient husband was with her and so worried.

Susie got her admitted to the good guys at Sihanouk Hospital. Once they had established a TB diagnosis she was transferred to a large hospital in the city that deals just with TB patients (and you wonder why Singapore heavily fines anyone spitting in a public place??).

The TB and leprosy hospital not far from our place. It's shaped like a big 'H' and makes you shudder to realise just how much TB is in this nation.

This is where the fun began. The hospital should provide free care as the World Health Organisation (WHO) provide the funding for TB care in Cambodia. Our staff were going up daily to provide food and to pray - and quickly came to realise that the husband was being fleeced left and right. For example, his wife was being charged for oxygen at NZ .80c per hour - pretty well a days wage per every two hours for the poor! The money went into a male nurse's pocket and got divied up from there no doubt.

Sue spoke with the attending doctor and was assured that TB medication and care was free. He said that the lady needed to have another three weeks in hospital. By now the husband was totally out of money. Susie then headed upstairs and got the hospital big wig. 'No, all free; oxygen free'. He came downstairs to announce 'free' in the ward - where other patients too were being fleeced. Next thing, the doc said 'she (Rourn) can go home today'.

Another day another coffee - nothing like a shot of caffeine for Sue to calm down and refocus before the next round of whatever comes her way.

We love Cambodia. We hate the iniquity. The callousness with which the poor are treated; the love of money and absence of compassion are hugely distressing here. On a bad day I want to bang some heads.

We brought Rourn and her husband back to the Healing Home for two days this week, but all she wanted to do was to go home to her village. They are not Christian, but oh so open to prayer and having the Word read. Now, we have to leave them fully in the Lord's hands - back in their village.