There is a generally dense and good network of rural clinics in Vietnam, and preventive services are better than average. But hygiene is still a major problem. Besides, for the poor, in case of disease or accident, the whole family may plunge into deep poverty.

In Cambodia curative and preventive services are much worse.

The diagnosis made by medical staff is often whimsical, thus leading to unnecessary and even dangerous treatments or surgical interventions. Often the people travel straight to the city hospitals, on their own decision, or forced by the overwhelmed rural clinics, especially for chronic problems and when they see the poor will not be able to pay. But a return trip to the city may cost as much as a full month's family income -the peasants are easy preys right from the bus station.

Besides the huge medical expenses compared to their poor income -which force them to sell animals, land, and sometimes their house, the worst still is when they cannot work any more. There is no insurance, they have only the solidarity of their family and neighbors to count upon.

If poverty in Vietnam has receded significantly, about a third of the population live just above the poverty line. Toàn's family was in this situation. The "accident" at the petrol station -for which no one was punished and there was no compensation, made the whole family plunge into deep poverty.