Lork Kheng (right), chair of the Cambodian NA’s Commission on Healthcare, Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, met with Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq, president of the French NA’s social affairs committee, in France on March 5. NA
Senior members of the French and Cambodian national assemblies (NA) met for recent talks to share a better understanding of the implementation of the Kingdom’s social protection policies and exchange experiences.
Aimed at promoting public welfare and expanding healthcare services, Cambodia’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) currently has about 170,000 self-employed members who make voluntary contributions.
Lork Kheng, chair of the Cambodian NA’s Commission on Healthcare, Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, and Charlotte Parmentier-Lecocq, president of the French NA’s social affairs committee, met for talks in France on March 5.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged viewpoints about the formulation and implementation of social affairs polices in their respective nations.
“The Cambodian side also requested that the French support the training of Cambodian medical specialists,” said a press release from the Kingdom’s NA.
Kheng explained that phase one of the government’s Pentagonal Strategy focuses on promoting public welfare and expand healthcare services towards universal health coverage (UHC), with the slogan: “Leave no one behind”.
“We have improved services at health centres, strengthened medical institutions, and promoted cooperation between the private and public sectors. We have provided social equity funds to around 3.5 million poor and vulnerable people. We have also issued NSSF cards to civil servants and veterans across the country,” she said.
She added that Cambodia also pays very close attention to the welfare of pregnant women, as well as children under 2.
Parmentier-Lecocq described Cambodia as an indispensable partner of France, and showed a strong interest in learning more about the Kingdom’s “excellent” practices, as per the press release.
“Social affairs policies are a core point of France. We prioritise the support of young people, for example through investing in policies that address their needs, and by building their trust in the fields of education and employment,” she said.
Nuth Sambath, president of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s Institute of Medicine, Biology and Agriculture, noted that the government has issued many IDPoor equity and NSSF cards.
He suggested that NSSF services be extended at the grassroots level to allow improved access, and that specialist doctors should also be deployed to remote areas so that patients would not have to travel as far.
According to NSSF deputy director-general Heng Sophannarith, as of March 5, almost 170,000 self-employed people and their dependants had become members of the NSSSF, through voluntary contributions.
“As the operators of this social security system, we are constantly seeking ways to improve and develop it,” he added.
