The Urgent Care Clinic

The clinic looked much like every one of these clinics in the US. The magazines, although written in Cambodian, are months out of date, but they offer the same quality entertainment as in any US doctor’s office. There are a dozen chairs to sit in, all designed for a maximum of discomfort.

Eddie went back to see the physician – there was a menu out front to chose from, although we never really figured out which one he got. Notably, probably not the “Surgeon” or “Gynecologist”. Everything else was up for grabs, though.

In the waiting room, equipment seemed to be limited somewhat – there was a stethoscope and a thermometer was shoved under his arm by the first person he met. The thermometer stayed in place until he gave it to the physician at the end of the visit.

Being a nurse has it’s advantages in a doctor’s office – you can cut to the chase, tell them what you want and usually have your way. EB suggested that he’d strained his back and needed a prescription for a muscle relaxant.

We did not anticipate the variety of treatment available in a Cambodian clinic.


First, he was offered a back brace. Mind you, the physician only came up about chest high on Eddie. Either one of us coulda accidentally snapped him like a twig, since he was the size of your standard 9 year old in the US. Come to think of it, most everyone in the clinic simply looked up at him and let their mouths fall open when he walked in.

The back brace wouldn’t begin to fit. These people, on average, have a 29 inch waist as best we can tell. They don’t offer extensions like the seat belt extenders for airplanes.  That back brace fit quite nicely around our forearms though.

From their handy-dandy pharmacy, they offered Panadol.

Yup, the same stuff in the US that they give women for menstrual cramps. No narcotics. Nothing substantial, even – just plain old PMS meds.

With this healthcare under our belts, we paid our bill ($46.00, includes the meds, no creditcards accepted) and went off to see the sights......limping.