{"id":22600,"date":"2018-01-15T18:34:58","date_gmt":"2018-01-15T11:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/?p=22600"},"modified":"2018-01-19T18:38:28","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T11:38:28","slug":"selected-comments-samdech-techo-hun-sen-at-the-inauguration-of-the-techo-santepheap-building-unofficial-translation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/en\/archives\/22600","title":{"rendered":"Selected Comments Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Inauguration of the Techo Santepheap Building [Unofficial Translation]"},"content":{"rendered":"

CNV:\u00a0

\"\"<\/a>Two Healthcare-Related Achievements in Ten Days<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am so happy that in just ten days we have put into operations two achievements relating to healthcare and wellbeing of our people. On 4 January, we put into operation a modernly equipped building in the Khmer-Soviet hospital. Today we are putting into operation a 23 million USD building equipped with modern tools and materials. These new achievements of the Kingdom and people of Cambodia guarantee that we are moving forwards with better ability to take care of our people\u2019s health [\u2026] I used to mention about decision to reestablish the Calmette hospital, especially its operation of earning income and reinvesting in its betterment. We have been doing this since 1990s. Our ability to invest in the construction and armamentarium to respond to growing needs of our people.<\/p>\n

Calmette Reopened after 7 January 1979<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have put into operations various achievements in the Calmette hospital. They include also a general neurology ward\/building. Minister of Health, HE Mam Bun Heng, already mentioned about how we got the hospital back in business. I just wanted to remind that after the liberation on 7 January 1979, the Calmette hospital started to provide its limited services in medical checkup and treatment.<\/p>\n

I myself also had my vermiform appendix operation and treatment in this hospital. It was just four days before voting day. I did not join the electoral campaign in 1998. Returned from a canal restoration with people in Takeo, I felt the pain. Then rumor spread that Hun Sen died. Well, they said about my death several times. To evade suspicions among the public, especially voters, I made an efforts to show myself in TV broadcast that I am still alive. I just wanted to share with our people that I have been using this hospital\u2019s services since 1980s and 1990s, and in the present too [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Investments from National Fund and Development Partners<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has ascertained confidence in capacity of our hospital and medical experts in general, and those in Calmette hospital too. We all should remember that in our difficult phase, Hungary had built us a building, where I stayed for a few days too. It was when the late brother Yit Kimseng was Minister of Health. My mother, my wife, also came here for medical reasons. We have, thanks to our progress, leveled up ability to provide checkup and treatment, including wards for critical stage patients, of the hospital. Aside from national funding for investments, the hospital development also enjoys those from development partners such as France in modernizing and equipping armamentarium.<\/p>\n

In 1997, I came here with the former French Ambassador to put one other building adjacent to the one provided by Hungary into operation after many countries abandoned us for the 5-6 July 1997 incident [\u2026] I am glad that the hospital director told me about the possibility of replacing some with many-floor building in the time to come [\u2026] it is true that there must be a master plan for the Calmette Hospital development.<\/p>\n

Making Efforts Together \u2013 the Only Best Option<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think that we have made improved medical service provision for our people and it is necessary in a recent campaign to work together to resolve healthcare issue of our people. Ten days ago I talked about our pride and challenges remained in this endeavor. We worked together to put an end to polio in Cambodia. We also made efforts to stop other diseases such as tuberculosis, and especially malaria, which we aim to achieve by 2025. Among those listed, we have been able to realize before schedules, thanks to efforts made by our medical personnel and participation of our people.<\/p>\n

Also ten days ago, I mentioned about that fact that some framed 90% of our medical personnel and experts as incapable or immoral, and only 10% was good [\u2026] it was unacceptable. How could a country or an institution survive when 90% of their population or staff are bad? Well, that is what they let their mouth say but we must make efforts to prove that what they said is not true. There is no other best option. Judging from what those people had said out there, Cambodia is hell. There are two different Cambodia [\u2026] there is a true Cambodia that we are putting into operation a new building for cancer treatment and maternity in the Calmette hospital and other necessary infrastructures.<\/p>\n

The real Cambodia is where people are traveling everywhere and realizing economic growth, still to add up, of no less than 6.9%. However, there is another Cambodia in the media world out there that was compared to hell and fearsome. As you can see with your own eyes, dear foreign friends, the real Kingdom of Cambodia. I am not proud without responsibility or refusing to recognize shortcomings. Yesterday was the 33rd<\/sup> anniversary of my premiership. I started as one of the youngest Prime Ministers in the world. Now, I have become one of the long-serving Prime Ministers in the world. I have made my journey with every Cambodian \u2013 students, their parents, and grandparents [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Out of Poverty, Reform Continues Still<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2026 We suffered an unjust embargo. Pol Pot killed our people but they allowed his regime to occupy the Cambodian seat at the United Nations. It was a sad story. However, I dare say that no one could win over a man who would lose his life for the country\u2019s noble course. We have bet our lives for the country\u2019s liberation from Pol Pot\u2019s regime. We suffered an unjust embargo and there were efforts to support Pol Pot\u2019s return to power. However, we stood together and prevented their returns on the one hand and restored the country on the other to achieve gradual improvement of people\u2019s socio-economic condition, the improvement of medical services of Calmette hospital also included.<\/p>\n

We have come this far and are working to meet with further challenges. We are not satisfied yet. People\u2019s need grows. Though our country has become one of the lower middle income countries, we still see rooms for reforms. Japan, though advanced and developed, still has the need to exercise necessary reforms. France also does. We have lots of works to do in the time to come, especially relating to people\u2019s wellbeing and healthcare in every state hospitals [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Care Given Primarily to Women in Pregnancy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last year, I planned to inaugurate a hospital with the Japanese ambassador in Svay Rieng. However, because of unexpected upcoming and cancelling again and again, I decided to send HE Mam Bun Heng in my behalf. I wish to have your attention that our new efforts made in social protection policy would require tremendous efforts from our medical personnel and experts in every state hospitals. We have a probable figure of over three millions people who are workers from registered and non-registered sectors to benefit from equity fund in accessing free-of-charge medical checkup and treatment in state hospitals. On top of that, pregnant female workers, civil servants, and armed forces are also entitled to cash assistance when they deliver. You may be reminded that when I first launched the social protection policy program, I had the attention of Chairman of economic policy, Academician and Senior Minister, and Minister of Economy and Finance, HE Aun Pornmoniroth, to focus primarily on women in pregnancies [\u2026]<\/p>\n

From Less People, Shortage of Rice to More People and Rice Export<\/strong><\/p>\n

We started when our country registered only some 5 million population in 1979. Now are over 15 million. Though our birthrate has fallen to only 1.6% now, in time after the liberation from Pol Pot, it was 3.2% and made a gradual descent from there to 2.8% and to the present rate. Our population figure has grown strongly. While there is a one percent increase of population, we have had to come up with a 3% increase in our food production. While we were at between five and seven million population, we were in short of rice. Now that we are at over 15 million, we have a surplus of over five million metric tons of rice for export [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Health Services Ensure Confidence of Tourists and Investors<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2026 We have new buildings and armamentarium in this hospital and also there are many more hospitals, health clinics in our country. They guarantee provision of medical services not only to Cambodian citizens but also to investors and tourists while in the Kingdom of Cambodia. This will ensure confidence of tourists and investors, especially those old-aged tourists of medical care they can find while they have unexpected health problem. Interactions grown from better services hospitals on attraction of tourists and investors to the Kingdom of Cambodia should not be overlooked.<\/p>\n

Capacity Building According to New Technologies Available<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2026 I sincerely thank nuclear medicines association together with France \u2026 however, I must warn that while technologies are more advanced, we must also try to improve our capacity. Otherwise, even with advanced armamentarium, we would not be able to save lives in a professional way. We must focus on training our medical personnel and experts skills of maneuvering those advanced medical technologies and tools [\u2026] our health human resources left from the previous generation have become old and I hope that you younger generation will become skilled and capable of taking care of our people\u2019s health and saving lives. Make no mistake, having armamentarium needed, but lacking medical ethical conduct, there would not be effective result [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Necessary Healthcare Infrastructures to Rural Area<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Friday last week, the Ministry of Health has had to come up with more laws, required as conditions when we gained accession to World Trade Organization, concerning licensing for treatment [\u2026] please take serious measures on permission for opening of dispensary and\/or drugstores. We are now focusing on providing necessary infrastructures to rural areas. We have so many demands to meet. While handing out land titles to people in 2012, people relocated and set up new homes and villages in many parts of the country. There are real demands for infrastructures such as roads, clean water, healthcare services, schools, etc. It was part of our effort for labor redistribution as Cambodia has faced a time when more people reside in certain places with less land, and where there are more land but less people.<\/p>\n

People searched for land available. We have provided them with chance to occupy those lands and work on them. However, in order to sustain their living in those places, we must provide them with needed infrastructures and services. We must build schools, dispensaries, etc. for them. These are not matter for talk the talk but for real actions, considering investment in accordance with available national fund but also participation from development partners.<\/p>\n

Taking Effective Measure on Bird Flu<\/strong><\/p>\n

In days we have had abrupt weather changes from rain to breeze and breeze to rain. Now we have this cool weather coming again. That is what climate change is all about [\u2026] medical personnel and experts must make efforts in their research on how to adapt to a new weather pattern. We have taken swift measure days ago to prevent outbreak of bird flu that was occurring in the Phnom Penh Thmey area. I am proud of quick reaction and measures taken by our medical personnel and related teams from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. We have the Pasteur Institute which provide in a timely manner lab examination of whatever seemed to be the cause. Once we identify the virus, swift actions are taken. Please continue with such effective measures to ensure guaranteeing health and wellbeing of our people.<\/p>\n

The other day I talked about refraining from purchasing chemically infested products. I warn our people to have self-inspection of those goods. Some had attacked me on this matter. No matter what, I still appeal to our people to take precautionary measure is better that to cure [\u2026] I also have taken self-healthcare measures. That is the best way to ensure good heath \u2013 from eating to exercising, etc. I discovered a text titled \u201cWhy the West Was Doomed to Fail in Cambodia.\u201d There were three analysts writing this piece together [\u2026] in one instance they said the concern was Hun Sen\u2019s health. On the day that we celebrated the ceremony for best wishes for Cambodia at Siem Reap, they wrote that Hun Sen rose to his feet and walked in an improper manner. I thank them for observing my health but I challenge them, except David Chandler, who is probably older than I am, to sit down and talk with each other and see who would retreat to rest room first [\u2026]<\/p>\n

Stronger Economy, No Term Limit for Prime Minister<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stepping into the year 2018 we are making every efforts to ensure stronger broad-based economic growth and guarantee social and security orders. The Senate elections will be held next month and the general elections on 29 July 2018. We must make sure that it happens smoothly, peacefully, transparently, democratically with participations by many political parties. There will be four political parties contested in the Senate elections. However, I am foresee that there will be many political parties to contest in the 29-July-2018 national assembly elections. We must ensure they happen smoothly. (2018) must be a well developing year as it will be the last year of the fifth legislative term of the National Assembly, and the commencement of the sixth legislative term.<\/p>\n

HE Mam Bun Heng wished me leaderships for the sixth and seventh terms, and every term thereafter. Well the ones beyond the 6th<\/sup> and 7th<\/sup> terms will be unpredictable. As for the two terms \u2013 6th<\/sup> and 7th<\/sup>, there is already commitment as I already sounded out that I will stand for office for at least another ten years. There is no term limit to premiership in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia. There is no country in this world that limit the number of terms for Prime Minister [\u2026] I wish they learn more. In countries, they limit number of term for post of Presidency who is voted in directly but the post of Prime Minister is elected by the National Assembly [\u2026]<\/p>\n

After serving for 33 years, extending to another ten years should not be a problem. I wanted to walk in hands with our people into a phase when Cambodia is ready to become a higher-middle income country by 2030. According to the National Assembly\u2019s legislative term, I will step out in 2028, a proximate time closer to when we set Cambodia for the nest level. We have an ambition to become higher-middle income country by 2030 and higher income country by 2050. I am confident that while peace is secured and political stability guaranteed, we will be able to ensure such development.<\/p>\n

Non-Registered Sector Workers Important<\/strong><\/p>\n

I told our workers in the non-registered sector yesterday that Cambodia\u2019s revival started from the rebirth of non-registered economy. They still continue to play important roles. While in the registered sector, there are over 1.4 million workers, there are roughly 2.4 million workers in the non-registered sectors. It is a major contribution to making our economy resilient. No matter how major crisis would incur out there, impacts would be more manageable because our economy is resilient. Such resilience would be possible because of contribution from the health sector, which is relating to people\u2019s wellbeing, and level of education [\u2026].\/.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am so happy that in just ten days we have put into operations two achievements relating to healthcare and wellbeing of our people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":22014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-22600","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-slide-show-english","8":"category-speech"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressocm.gov.kh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}