The Ministry of Health has inaugurated two buildings at two hospitals in Banteay Meanchey province. The two facilities were funded by a Christian association, in order to provide wider health services to the public.

The first is a renovated facility at the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Hospital in Mongkol Borei district, and the second is a new building at the Preah Net Preah Referral Hospital. Both were funded by a grant from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Foundation, to the tune of approximately $1.4 million, according to a November 1 social media post by the ministry.

Ministry secretary of state Ngov Kang thanked the church foundation association for their donation.

“Apart from renovating old buildings and building new ones, the church has also provided modern medical equipment and offered human resource training. This kind of humanitarian action is part of the government’s priority of strengthening the quality of health services in public health facilities,” he said.

He urged that provincial health officials regularly maintain the new equipment – as well as the buildings and other infrastructure – so they could be used long-term.

He also called on them to take responsibility for serving the people and to ensure they adhere to professional ethics.

Che Pichet, deputy director and spokesperson for the Banteay Meanchey provincial health department, said on November 2 that the church’s assistance would make a real contribution to helping the public, especially children.

“The new building at Preah Net Preah Hospital and the renovated paediatric ward at the provincial hospital have given us sanitary facilities where we can offer high-quality services to the people of the province,” he said.

He noted that in addition to the buildings, there are also new places for the families of patients to stay, with facilities for them to cook food and wash patients’ clothes.