Healthcare is essential to individual well-being and social development. However, the cost of medical treatment can prevent people from receiving the care they need. In Cambodia, many households still pay directly for healthcare, raising concerns about affordability and access.
Although the government has made progress in expanding social health protection, challenges remain in ensuring that everyone can access quality medical services without facing financial hardship. The question is whether Cambodia can expand healthcare access while maintaining a financially sustainable system.
The Case for Universal Healthcare
A core rationale for universal healthcare is that medical treatment should be a basic human right rather than a privilege for the wealthy. Poor and vulnerable families may be unable to afford medicine, surgery or regular treatment. As a result, illnesses that could have been treated earlier may become more serious, increasing both health risks and medical expenses.
Cambodia has introduced initiatives to address these challenges, including the Health Equity Fund, which supports healthcare access for poor and vulnerable households, and healthcare schemes administered through the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), social health protection coverage increased from 27% of the population in 2018 to nearly 50% in 2023. However, significant gaps remain, with more than 60% of health expenditure coming directly from households.
Universal healthcare can also benefit the economy. Healthier citizens are more productive at school and work, while vaccinations, regular check-ups and early diagnosis can prevent illnesses from becoming more severe and expensive to treat.
The Challenges of Universal Healthcare
Despite its advantages, universal healthcare requires substantial government funding. Governments must allocate resources to hospitals, medical equipment, medicines and healthcare professionals. This creates an opportunity cost, as additional spending on healthcare may leave fewer resources available for education, infrastructure and other public services.
Public healthcare systems may also face overcrowding and long waiting times when demand exceeds available resources. If funding and staffing do not keep pace with expanding coverage, patients may struggle to receive timely treatment.
Private healthcare can offer additional choices and help meet demand. However, when access depends heavily on personal income, lower-income households may be unable to afford necessary treatment. Cambodia must therefore improve public healthcare while ensuring that vulnerable citizens are not excluded because of financial circumstances.
Possible Solutions for Cambodia
Rather than attempting to make every medical service immediately free, Cambodia should progressively expand access to essential healthcare. Strengthening existing social health protection schemes could help cover people who remain outside the system.
The government should also improve public healthcare facilities, support healthcare professionals and prioritise preventive services. Better management of healthcare expenditure could help ensure that limited resources are used efficiently and reach those who need them most.
Cambodia has already established a Roadmap towards Universal Health Coverage for 2024–2035. Its targets include expanding social health protection coverage to 80% of the population and reducing out-of-pocket healthcare spending to no more than 35% of total health expenditure. Achieving these targets will require sustained funding, effective implementation and improvements in service quality.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Cambodia should continue working towards universal healthcare because access to essential medical treatment should not depend solely on personal wealth. However, achieving this goal requires sustainable funding, efficient resource allocation and improvements in healthcare quality. By strengthening existing protection schemes and investing in public services, Cambodia can move towards a system that balances equity with efficiency.
The objective should not simply be to make healthcare affordable, but to ensure that every Cambodian can obtain essential medical treatment without facing financial hardship.
Chanmonyneath Kith is a high school student and aspiring journalist at Paragon International School. The views and opinions expressed are his own.