For over a year, CARE’s partners have been working in rural communities in Cambodia as part of a government initiative to improve the accountability of local services to their communities. In Koh Kong province, organisations such as Mlup Promviheathor Center and HEAD have been supporting numerous activities to help community members provide feedback to local authorities on the services they provide. CARE spoke to one woman who has not attended any such sessions but is still feeling the impacts of this work!
Oeun, 65, lives in a village in Koh Kong province in south-west Cambodia. She has a few health problems such as high blood pressure that mean she visits her local health centre regularly. Oeun has indirectly seen the benefits of better dialogue between the community and health centre in her village through the improvements she has witnessed whenever she visits.
“The health centre before was quite good but now I have noticed it is even better,” shares Oeun. “When I have accessed the health centre recently, there have been more staff on duty and they come to welcome me as soon as I arrive to ask about my condition. The staff have become very friendly and seem to care about me much more.”
Once I had to stay there for some time because of my blood pressure. They checked in on me often. They have told me to come to the health centre immediately if I don’t feel well and I feel they sincerely care for my wellbeing. They have discussed with me that if my condition is not better, they will refer me to the provincial hospital.
Another improvement I have noticed is that they now always have sufficient medicine of good quality available for patients. I think it is really good for me because I often use the services from this health centre. I am not alone in remarking on the good quality of the services here; I have heard my neighbour also speak of the good care she received during her recent delivery and how friendly the staff were.
“For me, they are very good, I really love our health centre staff,” concludes Oeun.
Oeun has now met Sopheap, the Community Accountability Facilitator in her village who has been trained by Mlup Promviheathor Center as part of this government initiative. Sopheap has been able to explain to her the standards of work performance required by each health facility – but Oeun is already convinced that his work has contributed to a very good level of care for her and others in the community! they are very good, I really love our health centre staff,” concludes Oeun.
Oeun has now met Sopheap, the Community Accountability Facilitator in her village who has been trained by Mlup Promviheathor Center as part of this government initiative. Sopheap has been able to explain to her the standards of work performance required by each health facility – but Oeun is already convinced that his work has contributed to a very good level of care for her and others in the community!
CARE’s work in Koh Kong province as part of the NCCD’s efforts to improve social accountability is supported by the European Union and the Austrian Development Cooperation.
Learn more about the Implementation of the Social Accountability Framework project >