Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday made a raft of announcements during the inauguration of a new building at Phnom Penh’s University of Health Sciences, including a reduction in the fees to apply to the institution and an increase in the number of doctors in the public health system.

Speaking to students and doctors during the inauguration of the university’s new Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen building, the premier said that in response to complaints made on his Facebook wall the entry examination fee would be reduced from 600,000 riel ($150) to 100,000 riel ($25).

Ninety-nine students who had passed the written exam but failed their oral exams would be also allowed into the university, he added. He also mentioned that he was adding 3,689 contracted doctors to the civil servant health sector.

Cambodia’s health system has come under increased criticism recently, but Hun Sen said it wasn’t that bad. “I do not agree with the person who said 90 per cent [of doctors] are bad,” he said.

Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said he supported the exam fee reduction, but remained concerned about issues of corruption in the health sector.