My Experience of Calmette Hospital, Phnom Pehn
By Jay Moon
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. The information shared here is based on my personal research and experience and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Since I first came to Phnom Pehn, this has always been the goto hospital. I’m not sure of the financial setup. Most Khmer people I know say to avoid it. I had an expat friend whose local partner had cancer and although her treatment wasn’t successful here, he thought it was a good place.
My own experience is mixed. I first went there years ago trying to get a quote for an MRI but it was a fairly chaotic place and the staff wouldn’t give me any help.
My next experience was for emergency treatment for a minor accident. I turn up there and the doctor saw me waiting in his waiting room and asked me to wait outside, in the garden outside, and I went and realised it was chaotic, no one had my name or details so I was simply being told to leave, presumably because I was a foreigner.
Well I went back in and insisted on seeing him and he explained that he wasn’t allowed to treat foreigners becuase his department was tax funded, so he wrote down an address of another hospital on the other side of town.
I went there and waited all day and eventually saw someone who told me they weren’t allowed to treat foreigners and called over the head administrator who called the first doctor and was giving him a telling off on the phone. It went on forever and everyone was ignoring me and so I left and went back to the original office.
The first doctor let me in and still refused to treat me, but listened to my issue and gave me the name of some medicines to buy at the local pharmacy.
The next visit was a few years later, during covid. I went there to see about getting a vaccine. They told me at the door, straight up, that they were not letting foreigners in.
I’ve been to the associated testing place next door (same building) for the free STD tests (negative both times) and both times the receptionists are friendly and helpful, the environment is nice but the doctors very rude. They forced me to fill in a questionaire about my sexual history and looking back it was probably optional but they didn’t tell me. Anyway, that insisted on me documenting my first ever sexual experience, which was abusive (as a child) and they thought that was funny.
So I went back this time, having not been there for around four years now It has a new swanky entrance. I was with a friend. 
An English speaking woman approached, friendly and helpful, and tried to give me the information I needed.
An ultrasound would be 22.50 per position. Xrays possibly 20-25, no one is sure. Probably not possible for digital copy, it would be up to the technition, and I wouln’t be able to speak to them nor get any definite price without paying a thirty dollar consultation fee. My friend was their for an unrelated issue and had paid twenty for the consultation. Something very strange here. Also, there is no email and any query will be ignored. The only place allowed to receive information is at the main counter, pictured below. This is in a new area which is actually quite nice. It’s a shame really.
