Unlicensed Cambodian Doctor Jailed for Mass HIV Outbreak
On Thursday, the Battambang Provincial Court in Cambodia sentenced an unlicensed doctor to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty of infecting hundreds of people with HIV through reused needles.
According to the Phnom Penh Post, presiding judge Yich Chheanavy believed that the Roka village "doctor" had "committed a criminal offense...that has made some victims die, and seriously affected the mental and physical health and reputation" of the others who also got infected for the past two decades.
Yem Chroeum worked as a doctor for almost two decades and served his people who were unknowing of his activities. He was found to have been reusing needles, thus spreading the HIV virus to hundreds in the community.
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The 56-year-old is facing 25 years in prison for charges on "torture with aggravating circumstances" and he was ordered by court to pay 5 million riel (about $1,250) to the government "for running the clinic without permission."
While the verdict was being read, Chroeum reportedly sat in silence and stared blankly on the ground. His family, including his children, wept on their front pew seats inside the courtroom.
Lay Savorn, Chroeum's sister-in-law, said she will pay the Prime Minister a visit and request for his help to free his sister's husband. "This is not justice," she said.
Last December, the outbreak was reported, and since then, 282 people have been diagnosed with the virus, with the list continuously growing as the days pass by. According to the outlet, most of the people who were either victims, or saw their family members suffer after the outbreak, believed that the verdict was "too harsh."
Meanwhile, CNN reports that the UNAIDS' statistics reveal an estimated 76,000 people who are residing in Cambodia, living with the virus. While the country is reportedly being globally admired for its efforts in extinguishing AIDS, the Ministry of Health says there are still nearly 4,000 health service providers who are illegally operating in the area.
