Phnom Penh (FN), Sep. 16 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that expanding and improving the quality of health services in remote rural areas remains a top priority for the Royal Government, speaking on Monday (Sep. 16) during a groundbreaking ceremony of Calmette Hospital's new buildings.

Samdech Thipadei underscored, "The Royal Government, both previous and current mandates, has consistently worked to ensure access to health services. The first step is to expand healthcare services at the grassroots level, including building health posts and district referral health centres, which we are continually developing. Strengthening connected infrastructure is also a critical part of this effort."

Samdech Thipadei underlined that the quality of health services must be continuously improved to meet patients' expectations and increase public confidence in the health system. Strengthening the effectiveness of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the quality of health services currently in place is crucial, he added.

At the same time, Samdech Thipadei stated that the seventh-mandate Royal Government will continue to focus on improving the quality of local health centres across the country by deploying more doctors and ensuring that services are available 24 hours a day.

Prime Minister Hun Manet added that during his visits to many rural areas, residents frequently mentioned the challenges they face in accessing healthcare services and the difficulties caused by poor roads and transportation. In response, the Royal Government has worked hard to improve infrastructure and bring health services closer to those living in remote areas to alleviate hardships.

Samdech Thipadei further stated that expanding healthcare services at the local level not only helps reduce maternal and infant mortality but also promotes and enhances the overall capacity and quality of Cambodia’s health sector.

The premier further underscored, "During the seventh mandate, we continue to strengthen and develop healthcare services using a dual approach. The first approach is top-down, modernising and diversifying healthcare services to be more advanced. The second approach is bottom-up, starting from the grassroots level, with a focus on improving health centres and referral hospitals."

In addition, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet also urged the Ministry of Health to improve the skills of local doctors to help reduce the congestion caused by patients traveling to Phnom Penh for treatment.
=FRESH NEWS