The recent death of a man after treatment in a private clinic is a solemn reminder of some of the challenges facing the health sector in Cambodia, and many other low income countries in South East Asia.
Alongside various enforcement agencies, I’ve been investigating the trade of illegal medicine in Cambodia for over 8 years. While I can’t comment directly on this most recent death, the investigations conducted by SMCS Risk, have resulted in the seizure of various types of injectable medicine, some that are used in emergency situations or used to treat highly vulnerable patient groups.
Unfortunately, these injectable products have been expired and/or unregistered in the country. They have been stored in highly contaminated environments, and in some circumstances, administered by unqualified people.
This is the first in a series of blog posts on the trade in illegal medicine in South East Asia. More details are available in our full post over at SMCS Risk