Cambodia Breaking News (Koh Kong): On October 4, 2019, at 3:30 pm this afternoon, a high school teacher, Pen Vanny,was bitten by a king cobra at Thmor Sor high school, Thmor Sor village, Botum Sakor district, Koh Kong.

On a school break time, the victim went to clean up grass at the school fence, and he was bitten by a king cobra. The local people saw the victim collapse, so they sent him to the nearby hospital. His wife reported the event to the police because she wanted to move the victim to the provincial hospital for better treatment. The doctors there decided that the wounded man needed specialist help, and he was sent to Calmette hospital in Phnom Penh.
GOOD NEWS: After treatment, the victim is now recovering.

Lucky to live.

This snake is usually very docile and prefers to run away.

Maybe it was a female near her eggs.

I hope they caught it and released it back into the wild as it is on the endangered species list

Sand treatment only second to the Cambodian cure-all; the almighty intravenous drip.

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:19 pm

SuperFlyingChinaman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 6:44 pm Sand treatment only second to the Cambodian cure-all; the almighty intravenous drip.

And don't forget the tiger balm.

But seriously, when my (western) friend had dengue, my khmer friends were all very worried because he didn't want a drip. Like it was an essential part of the cure. We pointed out that the patient was capable of drinking enough fluids without a drip, so it was unnecessary. However, for my khmer friends, the saline drip has seemingly magic powers.

True - my missus wants the drip occasionally. Not a clue why. Can only think the placebo effect. I have learned not to argue the point.

Mishmash wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:54 pm

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:19 pm

SuperFlyingChinaman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 6:44 pm Sand treatment only second to the Cambodian cure-all; the almighty intravenous drip.

And don't forget the tiger balm.

But seriously, when my (western) friend had dengue, my khmer friends were all very worried because he didn't want a drip. Like it was an essential part of the cure. We pointed out that the patient was capable of drinking enough fluids without a drip, so it was unnecessary. However, for my khmer friends, the saline drip has seemingly magic powers.

True - my missus wants the drip occasionally. Not a clue why. Can only think the placebo effect. I have learned not to argue the point.

Good doctoring Mish.
The placebo effect has proven to be very powerful medicine, by medical science.
And it is hard to challenge Khmers about such superstitions anyway.

Maybe it comes from the war days. ???
Transfusions for blood loss would have been common, and life-saving.
They were probably the first look at modern medicine most Cambodians would have seen.

SuperFlyingChinaman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 6:44 pm Sand treatment only second to the Cambodian cure-all; the almighty intravenous drip.

The almighty intravenous drip seems to be a cure-all, all over Asia - Korea & China (from personal experience). I broke my clavicle in Korea. They wanted to keep me in the hospital for three weeks (ROK National Health Plan... Cha-Ching! )... on intravenous drips. The drips contained: saline solution, a mild sedative, a muscle relaxant and vitamin B. I left after three days of: 'ordering in' pizza & chicken; and, smoking cigarettes & drinking beer with the five Korean guys in my room.

I just recovered from a bout of dengue fever here in Vietnam. My landlady wanted me to go to the hospital... which would have involved at least a week... on intravenous drips. I said "No".

The snake didn't know World Teachers' Day was coming up. I hope the teacher is doing OK on his drip.

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:00 am

Mishmash wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:54 pm

Anchor Moy wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:19 pm

SuperFlyingChinaman wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 6:44 pm Sand treatment only second to the Cambodian cure-all; the almighty intravenous drip.

And don't forget the tiger balm.

But seriously, when my (western) friend had dengue, my khmer friends were all very worried because he didn't want a drip. Like it was an essential part of the cure. We pointed out that the patient was capable of drinking enough fluids without a drip, so it was unnecessary. However, for my khmer friends, the saline drip has seemingly magic powers.

True - my missus wants the drip occasionally. Not a clue why. Can only think the placebo effect. I have learned not to argue the point.

Good doctoring Mish.
The placebo effect has proven to be very powerful medicine, by medical science.
And it is hard to challenge Khmers about such superstitions anyway.

Maybe it comes from the war days. ???
Transfusions for blood loss would have been common, and life-saving.
They were probably the first look at modern medicine most Cambodians would have seen.

Interesting observation.

It's easy to forget in the modern era of smartphones and Facebook and huge SUV's that Cambodia really was a wild country unchanged in millennia not so long ago.

As an aside, when the old King died we were requested by Lt. General Hun Manet (then only a colonel) to allow the people their superstitions, in this case the face of the King in the moon.

His point was that we were more likely to cause distress than educating people.

So now, when I see people buried in sand, or drips, or the mighty tiger balm I just thank the people for helping and win a friend, while hopefully moving towards a brighter future.

IV drips have their place - if the patient is dehydrated and/or as a means of delivering drugs. However, I think at least 80% of their use in Asia/SE Asia is only so the patient thinks the doctor is doing something (while the body heals itself).