China, Cambodia to up healthcare cooperation
OFFICIALS in China’s Jiangsu prov ince say they will cooperate with Cambodia on healthcare as Sino-Cambodian relations are “at t he highest point”, wit h bilatera l trade reaching $ 5.5 billion last year.
“We have four [projects planned], including sending doctors to treat patients i n Cambodia, treating dengue fever, building healt h centres and prov iding long-distance treatment,” said t he deput y director of Jiangsu Prov incial Health Committee Zhu Min.
She was speaking during a briefing with Cambodian reporters v isiting China t his week.
She said a health service centre was established in Preah Sihanouk province with support from Jiangsu province’s Wuxi city.
Jiangsu Provincial hospital’s Yang Zhijian said in 2015, his hospital sent doctors to Cambodia on five separate occasions to treat around 13,000 people in Siem Reap, Kampong Speu and Preah Sihanouk provinces.
“I spent 10 days in Cambodia. It was exhausting, but I am happy. We understand a lot about the healthcare sector in Cambodia. We went to factories, schools, and hospitals.
“Most diseases we saw were malaria and physica l injuries. From my experience in Preah Sihanouk prov ince, I understand the genera l v iew of t he [prov ince’s] healt h sector.
“I hope we can improve medical care [there], it lacks medicine,” Zhijian said, expressing hope that health sector relations will be strengthened in future between the two nations.
Huang Xiqiang, the deputy director-general of the Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government, said Jiangsu province recently donated 200 hospital beds to Cambodia.
Another example of cooperation is from Taizhou town. Located in the middle of Jiangsu province and named China Medical City, it is on 30sq km and has 900 medical enterprises.
Yang Jie, the first deputy Mayor of Taizhou, said his town has partnered with Siem Reap’s Angkor International Hospital. He said the parties signed a two-year agreement in which Taizhou will send three doctors to Angkor International Hospital every three months.
Yang said i n July, a longdistance treatment centre in Taizhou started operation. Through t his centre, patients at Angkor Internationa l Hospita l can consult doctors in Taizhou v ia t he internet.