Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol on April 26 met with stakeholders to discuss the management of the soon-to-be-completed Techo Sen Koh Thom Hospital in Kandal province.

He described the facility as meeting the highest international standards.

The ministry, along with specialists from Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh, are currently overseeing the installation of medical equipment at the hospital, located in Prek Thmey village and commune of Koh Thom district. While construction has been completed, ordering the equipment took longer than expected, and the hospital is expected to open in the third quarter of the year.

Chanthol said the meeting participants discussed ways to guarantee the efficient running of the hospital.

“I met with the head of the national-level working group, the director-general of Calmette Hospital, donors from abroad and representatives of medical equipment suppliers to ensure the management of the facility will be exemplary,” he said.

“The hospital will be equipped with modern equipment and will serve the people of the province well. We also discussed the facility’s patient data management system, which will guarantee professional healthcare to anyone who uses the hospital,” he added.

Chanthol advised the attendees to meet regularly to monitor the progress of the project so they could address challenges in a timely manner.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said the Techo Sen Koh Thom Hospital will play an important role in improving access to healthcare not only for the people of Koh Thom, Sa’ang and Ponhea Leu districts in Kandal, but also for Prey Kabbas district in Takeo province. At present, residents have to travel to Phnom Penh or other provincial hospitals to obtain treatment.

The hospital was built with the contributions of donors, in collaboration with Calmette Hospital, at a cost of about $10 million. Construction began on January 7 last year, on a 1.47ha site on National road 21. The facility covers 13,000sqm and will contain 150 beds.