Yem Chroeum, an unlicensed doctor, was found guilty of infecting people in northwestern Battambang province with HIV by reusing dirty needles, the Phnom Penh Post reported Thursday.
Chroeum was found guilty of torture with “aggravating circumstances” and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Around 30 police officers were stationed outside the court when he was brought in. When the sentence was handed down, Chroeum stared at the floor while his family openly wept.
In addition to the jail sentence, Chroeum was also ordered to pay the more than 100 people infected with HIV between 2 million and 12 million riel ($500 to $3,000) in compensation, as well as 5 million riel to the state. According to the Ministry of Health, about 4,000 illegal health care providers are still operating in the country.
Discovery of the HIV outbreak
In late November of 2014, a 74-year-old man from the village of Roka in northwestern Battambang province tested positive for HIV. A granddaughter and son-in-law were also found to have the HIV virus, according to Digital Journal.
Yem Chroeum, a 55-year-old self-taught “medical practitioner,” was charged with murder in December 2014 by infecting over 200 people with HIV from reusing dirty needles and syringes. According to police chief Sar Thet, Chroeum admitted to “sometimes reusing needles and syringes over the past years.” Chroeum was taken into protective custody because of death threats from villagers.
His trial began on October 22, 2015, and lasted five days. By that time, 10 villagers had reportedly died and at least 300 people had been infected, reported CTV News.
Chroeum’s wife, Nhoum Chenda, had to flee to another province because she feared villagers would kill her. She insists her husband never believed he was infecting his patients. “The HIV virus transmitted to those villagers must be from … something else that we don’t know about right now,” she said by phone to CTV News.
Cambodia’s need for more licensed doctors
Cambodia suffered a high incidence of HIV infections in the 1990s, but when a “safe sex” campaign began, the incidence of HIV dropped from 2.0 percent to below 0.7 percent. Additionally, Cambodia is also one of the world’s poorer countries and has inadequate health care facilities, particularly in rural areas.
Villagers in remote areas often have to depend on unlicensed and self-taught medical practitioners for care in treating minor injuries and ailments and giving injections. Yem Chroeum was one such medical practitioner, and many villagers said he had a good reputation.
“Whether it was day or night, whether the patient had money to pay for the treatment or not, Yem Chroeum treated them regardless. I think he was a good neighbor,” said Chay Savorn, a 60-year-old woman who received treatment from him and was later found to be HIV positive.
