Selected Comments Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, at the inauguration of the Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital [Unofficial translations]

Selected Comments Samdech Moha Bovor Thipadei Hun Manet, at the inauguration of the Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital [Unofficial translations]

CMF: 20/04/2024

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(1) Siem Reap Referral Hospital’s Surgery Service Center Building – a New Year’s gift from the Japanese people

[…] We consider (the Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital Surgery Service Center Building) a New Year’s achievement of the health sector for the people of Siem Reap and around […] I thank the Japanese Ambassador, and through His Excellency the Ambassador, on the Cambodian people’s behalf, I thank the Japanese government and people for making this achievement possible […] considering it a New Year’s gift from the Japanese people to the Cambodian people. This health achievement will translate a person’s joy of recovering from illness to the happiness of millions – to oneself, to the family, to the people, because healthy people help being strong workforce for the nation […] (the Siem Reap Provincial Referral Hospital) can perform brain surgery and treatment of some internal organ surgery […] we will continue to move forward (to cover more) […] however, I do not wish to see many patients coming for treatment but it is better to have such a capable hospital to turn to in case of need […]

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(2) Promoting human health is the main goal to ensure sustainable development

Focusing on strengthening and promoting human health is the main goal that enables us to ensure sustainable development. The development of the health sector is important and playsa crucial role in the training of human resources, equipment, and especially the capacity of the hospital […] by which the people’s health will improve through our effort to strengthen the health sector and hospitals. We also have the private sector involved, but here, I am speaking within the framework of the state’s effort. To strengthen the health of the people is to strengthen the physicians or to expand the scope (of health care and treatment) by moving closer to the people. This is an approach to expand the treatment capacity, both on-site treatment capacity and capacity building to provide (treatment and care services) to the locals, rather than concentrating only in Phnom Penh […]

(3) All provincial hospitals possess high-level healthcare and treatment capacity in the long run

In the future, the big goal is that we want all provinces to have a high level of capacity, but we cannot expand them in all 25 capitals/provinces (at the same time). The first step is to expand the regional hospital […] (so that they have the capacity to provide care and treatment) to relieve pressure from demand in Phnom Penh […] and this effort has been organized since the previous term […] the Ministry of Economy and Finance, on behalf of the Royal Government, last March, signed a US$ 141 million loan agreement from the Government of Japan through JICA to develop two regional hospitals – one in Siem Reap and one in Kampong Cham. After accomplishing the two projects, we will expand the effort to other areas before reaching (the targets set) in each province. According to the plan, the project will start this year and by 2030, this medical facility will become a regional level (hospital) […]

(4) Organize training for doctors to work in regional hospitals

This is an achievement (that provides) treatment services in this city and province, but please allow me to share the joy across the country that treating a person to regain good health from sickness is to grow happiness in his/her family and to contribute healthy workforce to the national economy […] the hospital project will firstly expand the ease of management and provide existing medical services, such as increasing the number of beds, and secondly, create new specialized services, such as cardiac surgery, vascular surgery by all means, cancer treatment, chemotherapy services, etc., which are not in existence here before. This is to increase capacity, and with capacity, it increases efficiency by investing in infrastructure, modern equipment, research and training […]

(5) Bringing health services closer to local people will help reduce mortality

In the future, each provincial hospital will be able to do more for the people […] the first reason is because the population will increase to 17 million […] and secondly, due to the progress of health sciences, our people will live longer […] on this note, we are craving for every needs […] the seventh legislative term Royal Government has put in place a number of policies/programs to expand the scope of global health coverage […] in the confidence that by ensuring that health services, the country will reduce mortality causing by taking time (in transporting patients) […] or by bringing these services closer to local people will help reduce mortality. In addition, the construction of a hospital (capable to do such job) will also help provide services to national and international tourists visiting Siem Reap, the potential tourism destination […] strengthening medical capacity here in Siem Reap is a step contributing to building capacity as a regional hospital in the future, or building a long-term foundation for the health of the local people and everyone who comes […]

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(6) Japan helps strengthen the capacity of the district referral hospitals

In addition to assisting this provincial hospital, Japan also helps strengthen the capacity of the district referral hospitals. One approach to strengthen the health sector in this term is to strengthen the provision of basic health services in health centers and referral hospitals at level-1, level-2 and level-3. They coincide […] on the 17th (of April), signed the policy guidelines on the implementation of the key action plan to strengthen the health centers and district referral hospitals from 2024 to 2027, which requires more than 170 million dollars […]

(7) improve quality service, first aid capacity, help with life-long diseases, and more staff for health centers and district hospitals

(In strengthening the capacity of health centers/district referral hospitals,) there are four main goals – firstly, improve the quality of services to meet the expectations of the people […]; secondly, increase the first aid capacity and subsequently, proper medical attention and in a timely manner to reduce lethal cases […]; thirdly, increase the ability to help people related to diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, especially focusing on people and poor families and vulnerable families […]; and fourthly, increase staff in health centers for each health center to be able to provide regular services – 24/7 […] we have allowed recruitment of nearly 2,000 more physicians and/or nurses for placements in the health centers […] and eventually will reach (the number required) as the target of the Ministry of Health […] though we have better road now, we still have to think of ways to stop to provide immediate medical attention on the spot. If there is an emergency, such first aid on the spot because is important […]

(8) At war, more spent on defense; in peace more invest in health and educationIn the health sector as a whole, the national budget, a bulk of national fund has been made available – nearly US$ 1 billion, to strengthen and improve treatment capacity for the people. This did not count in the release of funds for various social assistance programs, such as helping the poor, the state health equity card, assistance issued to the (vulnerable) people, the risks associated with Covid-19 disease and the like. We have spent already US$ 1.4 billion […] a necessary expense for the health and happiness of the people and the health of the nation that needs healthy people. We must continue to invest in the health sector as in the education.During the war, the Ministry of National Defense (received a big part of the national budget) […] and for this new term, we will continue to increase the quality and further modernize the health sector (even more effectively) […]./.