drugs

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 644

“Phnom Penh: Expert officials of the Ministry of Health said that fake medicines and illicit health services are a complex problem for a developing country like Cambodia.

“A secretary of state of the Ministry of Health and deputy director of the inter-ministry committee for combating fake medicines and illicit heath services, Dr. Heng Taikry, said during a meeting of this committee at the Ministry of Health on 22 December 2009, ‘At present, fake medicines and illicit health services are a complicated challenge for Cambodia.’

“Dr. Heng Taikry added that every year much money and many human lives are lost due to fake medicines and illicit health services. There are some factors leading to this problem, such us limited knowledge, poor livelihood conditions, and lack of participations of citizens [to check this problem], especially by those who live in remote areas.

“Official publications about the consequences of fake medicines and illicit health services are not spread broadly and on time, and there is a lack of close cooperation between relevant institutions, including the medicine and food control authorities in the areas, and other non-government organizations that are development partners. Mr. Heng Taikry went on to say, ‘Because law enforcement is not strict and penalties against offenders are too light, some wicked people take the opportunity to act improperly.’

“The head of the Department of Medicines, Mr. Tea Kimchhay, said, ‘There are 1,081 unlicensed branch pharmacies, and other houses selling medicines, and there are [153] export and import companies and [8] drug producing enterprises at the 24 cities and provinces of the Kingdom of Cambodia by November 2009.’

“He added that previously, officials of the secretariat of the inter-ministry committee went to some companies and many centers for cosmetic surgery to stop advertisements for cosmetic beautification through surgery or through the injection of drugs.

“He continued to say that officials of the secretariat went to strengthen law enforcement at places selling traditional medicines by instructing them about advertisement issues, and about requests for a license to operate a business selling traditional medicines; a house selling traditional medicines called Deum Tnot, owned by Mr. Chao Chanchetha, was closed for advertising beyond the truth.

“According to a report of the Department of Medicines, Food, Medical Materials and Cosmetic Products, there are temporary houses selling medicines, permitted by the provincial authorities for civil servants who are nurses and midwives. There are unlicensed places selling medicines, including 566 unlicensed pharmacies, 652 A and B branch pharmacies, and 274 temporary houses selling medicines at the provinces. There are 1,081 unlicensed houses selling medicines where 215 are Type A, 602 are Type B, and 264 are Type C [criteria not given here]. There are 153 export and import companies and 8 drug producing enterprises.” Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #368, 23.12.2009

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 23 December 2009

Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #368, 23.12.2009

• Five People Died Each Day because of Traffic Accident [and about 70 people on average are injured in Cambodia; according to the Belgian NGO Handicap International]
• A House Owner Raped His 13-Year-Old Girl Servant Many Times until It Was Discovered [police is seeking to arrest the perpetrator – Phnom Penh]
• Spain Will Open an Embassy in Cambodia Officially in 2010
• Fake Medicines and Illicit Health Services Are Still a Complex Problem

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2131, 23.12.2009

• Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen Will Attend a [Vietnamese] National Level Conference in Vietnam [about the fostering of Vietnamese trade to Cambodia on 26 December 2009 in Ho Chi Minh City]
• Hundreds of People Hired to Cut and to Take Trees down from the Dangrek Mountains [in Thai territory to Cambodia illegally] Left the Mountains [after merchants told them to do so; they said that they can earn US$300 to US$350 for one cubic meter of wood]

Khmer Amatak, Vol.10, #702, 23.12.2009

• The Deportation of Uighur People Back to China [in violation to Cambodia’s signature on the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees] Is a Dangerous Game, That Might Affect Cambodian Ties with Some Very Powerful Countries

Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.3, #561, 22.12.2009

• The World Bank Uncovered Corruption Regarding the Provision of Land Titles for Citizens [bribes were demanded in return for grating titles; informal payments were demanded and paid for titles in urban high-value areas such as Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville, and in some rural areas]

Koh Santepheap, Vol.42, #6838, 23.12.2009

• [The Opposition party president] Sam Rainsy Will Be Convicted in Absentia while Eight Other People Involved in the Removal of [temporary Cambodian-Vietnamese] Border Markers Were Summoned by the Svay Rieng Municipal Court
• Khmer Laborers Continue to Enter Siamese [Thai] Territory Illegally through the Robieng Border Crossing [between 150 and 200 laborers are arrested and sent back from Thailand each day – Poipet]

Phnom Penh Post [Khmer Edition], Vol.1, #73, 23.12.2009

• A Khmer Soldier Stationed in Preah Vihear Died Stepping on a Mine
• The Fishery Administration Reminds Citizens to Produce Prahok [Khmer traditional preserved fish, as the annual major fishing yield time approaches – when the water from the Tonle Sap Lake flows down into the Mekong River]

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.17, #5080, 23.12.2009

• China Denied Linking Its Aid and Loans [of US$1.2 billion] with the Deportation of [20] Uighur People [from Cambodia]
• The King Decorated the Three Samdechs [the Prime Minister, Samdech Akkak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen; the President of the National Assembly, Samdech Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin; and the President of the Senate, Samdech Thoma Pothisal Chea Sim] with Military Five-Star-General Insignia
• At Least 80 People Died in Europe because of Cold Weather

Sereypheap Thmey, Vol.17, #1839, 23.12.2009

• The United Nations and the European Union Condemn Cambodia for Violating International Law [the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees – after expelling 20 Uighur people back to China]
• [The Human Rights Party president] Mr. Kem Sokha: The Government Has to Use the Law to Expel Yuon [Vietnamese] Immigrants from Cambodia, like Uighur People Were Expelled to China [as the government claims it expelled the Uighurs as it had to apply Cambodian immigration law]

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