The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 497
“Phnom Penh: A director of the National Mental Health Program of the Ministry of Health said that, at present, approximately 50% of the population suffers from mental problems.
“It is estimated that 70% of the citizens who survived the Pol Pot regime have mental problems.
“Professor Sun Bonnath told Kampuchea Themy in the morning of 27 February that conditions of mental illness have declined a little bit compared to before.
“The professor estimated that 50% of Cambodian citizens have mental problems, but 70% of the citizens who survived the Pol Pot regime have mental problems. The director of the National Mental Health Program of the Ministry of Health said that there are four factors that cause citizens to suffer from mental disorders. 1- Biological factors: patients’ taking of wrong medicine causes them to have chronic illnesses that cannot be cured easily. Then they suffer from depression, which finally can become mental illnesses. 2-Mental factors: Some individuals worry and think so much that they cannot solve their problems. The harder they think, the more upset they get. Finally, they may suffer from mental illnesses. 3-Other factors, such as problems of war, insecurity, oppression and exploitation: citizens get so worried that they can develop mental illnesses. 4- The last factor is some Cambodian beliefs. People in other countries are not likely to have mental illnesses because of such beliefs, but people in Cambodia can have this problem.
“Professor Sun Bonnath said that, when parents or grandparents die, the beliefs which some of Cambodian citizens have cause them to not feel calm, because they don’t know whether or not their parents’ or grandparents’ spirits can live peacefully.
“Professor Sun Bonnath, the Dean of the Department of Medicine of the University of Health Science, said that, besides these, there are also a number of other problems that can be the cause of mental illness; an example cited is the competition between outstanding students in one school: when outstanding students lose in the competition, they will suffer from depression.
“The professor said that the consequences of mental illnesses are tremendous. Mental illnesses can affect human beings’ intelligence and the quality of their work, and those who suffer from such illnesses are susceptible to other physical illnesses, because they don’t care about taking good care of their health. When patients who have mental problems suffer from other physical illnesses, their level of income generation capability can also decline accordingly. Therefore, mental problems are one of the causes of poverty.
“To move a country forward, every citizen has to take into consideration problems of their health, especially their mental health. If many citizens in one country have mental problems, which leads to a decline in available human resources, the country cannot be developed.
“To solve these problems, not only the Ministry of Health, but also all persons concerned, have to make concerted efforts to expand mental health services. The professor said that currently, there are two mental health centers in Kompong Thom, four mental health centers in Battambang, and that mental health services are also delivered in referral hospitals in a number of provinces.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1280, 2.3.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 2 March 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1280, 2.3.2007
- 50 Percent of Cambodian Citizens Have Mental Problems
- Military Police Cracked Down On Shops Selling Military Stuff In Toek Thla Market [Sellers ran away when they saw police coming to their shops. They had already been raided before, but quietly came back to do business]
- Gasoline Smugglers Actively Make Their Way Into Cambodia Through Many Small Tracks In Svay Rieng [gas in neighboring Vietnam is cheaper than in Cambodia]
- More Than 3,000 Families In Phnom Sampov Received Donations [from Sar Kheng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, through Cambodian Peoples Party Lawmakers and Working Groups]
- Karaoke Parlors And Brothels Are Rapidly Flourishing In The Western Part Of Takeo
Khmer Amatak, Vol.8, #457, 2.3.2007
- The Head Monk Tep Vong Should Not Step On The Sufferings Of Khmer Krom Monks Before The Yuon [Vietnamese] President [by showing a flattering attitude praising the eternal friendship between the two countries]
Khmer Mekong, Vol.5, #242, 2.3.2007
- Phnom Penh Authorities Refused Permission For A Demonstration, Even Before The Norodom Ranariddh Party Requested It [City Hall has not yet responded to the request for permission for a demonstration of this party, but some officials from the city said the governor will not approve it, as it might affect social order and security]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, # 4225, 2.3.2007
- Schoolboys From One School Opened Fire On Schoolboys From Other School Because Of A Grudge [police caught the offenders with a K54 handgun and brought them to a police station]
- Economists Have Different Views On The Rapid Increase Of Land Prices In Phnom Penh [it affects investors when land prices reach $2,000 per square meter, which is the highest price compared to neighboring countries]
- Four Men Were Arrested With Guns After The Murder Attempt On Pov Panhapich [they were accused of having been involved in attacking Pov Panhapich, but Mok Chito, Interior Ministry penal police chief, said that they are not involved]
- Right Groups Suspect That The Alleged Suicide Of A Kampuchea Krom Monk Is A Murder [Monk Eang Bun Theoun died after he had joined the demonstration in Phnom Penh to ask the Vietnamese authorities not to put pressure on Khmer monks living on Vietnamese territory. Other monks said he had good health and the wound on his neck doesn’t seem to be from a suicide, but from an attack by someone else]
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #342, 2.3.2007
- Each Casino In Phnom Penh Needs To Pay The Authorities $5,000 Every Month [or it will be closed, regardless of profit or loss; they also need to pay another $1,000 dollars officially to the local authorities]
