In our Technical training, we are learning about the health care system in Cambodia. Yesterday we took a field trip around Tramkak, our training village. What a hoot seeing all of us biking around through the rice fields. It was my first opportunity seeing just how beautiful Cambodia is once you get out of the urban mess.

We explored several common alternatives to the government health system existing at the village level. Our first stop, and for me the most interesting, was visiting with Ma Chen, a traditional healer known as a Grua K’mai. Ma Chen discovered his abilities when he was 14 after suffering a severe ankle injury, from which he healed himself. Since then, he has been offering spiritual healing to others in Tramkak for over 40 years.

Many Cambodians have a strong belief in spirits influencing individual lives. Sometimes they believe illness or sicknesses are caused by spirit possession, evil spells, or the use of inappropriate words that enrage the spirits. They seek support from spiritual healers like Grua K’mai Ma Chen if they believe the illness is caused by spirit possession. Due to the adoption of spiritual health practices, some people delay seeking early medical care from the local medical clinics and end up with irreversible conditions. Additionally, those who do not trust or cannot afford medical help from the local government clinic, something that is very common here, may also call on him. One of my roles as a health educator here in Cambodia will be to educate those in my community about how to see appropriate care for what ales them.

Our tour also took us to meet with a local Community Health Volunteer who acts as a community educator and bridge between the Cambodian health system and her community, a worker in a local pharmacy, and a private medical clinic. Each of the people we met plays a part in the medical care of Cambodians.  Similar people will be part of the community I will be integrating myself with once I am posted to my permanent site and will possibly be important players in the work I will do.