Health minister Chheang Ra addresses the launch of a cervical cancer vaccination programme on October 5. UNICEF
Minister of Health Chheang Ra lauded the achievements that the Ministry of Health has made under the new government, noting a pronounced increase in the efficiency of localised medical services.
He said that in the 45 days since the establishment of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s seventh mandate government, the leaders of the ministry have been focused on improving Cambodia’s public health system.
He discussed the progress made with the media on October 5, as he announced that free cervical cancer vaccines would be given to all girls aged 9 and over, as part of the Kingdom’s immunisation programme.
He explained that the ministry’s priority – in line with those of the government – is to ensure that the public have access to effective medical services, regardless of where they live. Their intention is to ensure they remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To this end, inspections of all provincial health centres are being carried out.
“We have strengthened the quality of the services they provide by highlighting areas in which they can improve. We are rolling out new equipment, and establishing new systems, including in terms of management, techniques, and the scheduling of staff,” Ra said.
“Our officials are working closely with provincial staff,” he added.
The minister said he had already observed how the positive changes had supported the public.
He explained that the ministry is not only strengthening public health services, but inspecting private healthcare providers, and encouraging them to become public service partners.
Private clinics, he said, must be held to the same high standards and ministry technical regulations as public facilities.
Yang Kim Eng, president of the People’s Centre for Development and Peace, believed that what the ministry is doing represents a positive step, as it is focused on public health at the local level.
While he acknowledged the ministry’s achievements, he also wanted to see more frequent inspections of health facilities, and called for the ethics of doctors to be monitored.
“Strengthening the quality of the services that are provided in provincial and district health centres and clinics is very important. We need to modernise the treatment they offer, so it is comparable with what is available in neighbouring countries,” he said.
He added that reliable services, and a change in the attitude of some medical staff, would encourage the public to place their confidence in the Cambodian public health sector.
