Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2022 | Page 62

Feature

Cambodia ’ s healthcare : A Malaysian perspective

We sat down with Malaysia ’ s Ambassador to Cambodia Eldeen Husaini to discuss the current situation in the country ’ s healthcare industry , what the Cambodian government is doing to raise standards , and how Malaysia can help plug the gaps .

We can see that Cambodia is working hard to improve the standard of healthcare by establishing public health cooperation between Cambodia and other countries and international organisations .
1 ) What are your views on the state of healthcare in the country ? Cambodia has undergone a significant transformation in terms of healthcare as a result of its rapid economic growth , which led to certain , albeit gradual , changes in e�pectations from the public .
The public is increasingly demanding better healthcare . Cambodians are aware of the importance of strengthening their health system , and the e�perience of mobilising additional resources for healthcare and social protection , especially in the wake of C������� , has opened the eyes of Cambodians to the importance of proper and proactive healthcare practices .
�n view of this , and with farsightedness and strong political will , the �overnment of Cambodia is improving various aspects of its health industry , such as increasing the Kingdom ’ s healthcare budget to improve the policies and service delivery of Cambodia ’ s healthcare system .
�ther efforts at improvement include the Government striving to raise awareness about healthcare practices among ordinary Cambodians . This is because traditionally , Cambodians , especially those in the rural areas , prefer to seek healthcare by taking medicine from a village pharmacy , while sometimes seeking the advice of traditional medicine practitioners . The government is hard at work on this by improving the education and training system in the field of healthcare .
2 ) How do you view the ability of hospitals and medical centres to handle the demands of the Cambodian population ? Cambodian hospitals and medical centres , while obviously not as well�resourced as those of other countries in the region , are exponentially increasing their facilities and abilities towards being able to fully handle the demands of the Cambodian population . �or instance , the �overnment of Cambodia has increased its medical workforce and health equipment�facilities to accommodate its �� million people .
An e�cellent testimony to the abilities of the Cambodian healthcare system is how the �ingdom has successfully managed its vaccination programme efficiently , not only for its citi�ens but also for foreigners living in Cambodia . The speed and
Malaysia ’ s Ambassador to Cambodia Eldeen Husaini
effectiveness of Cambodia ’ s inoculation programme is simply quite astounding , proving that its medical institutions , in collaboration with the �inistry of Health , can adequately address the demands of its citi�ens . �veryone is aware of how Cambodia is one of the beacons of hope in the fight against the pandemic , not only regionally , but throughout the globe .
Nevertheless , being a developing nation , we could all use a helping hand . So � believe that is why Cambodians are open to the idea of collaborating with foreign partners in the healthcare industry , whose e�periences and resources may be of help to them .
3 ) How do you see healthcare policies and support from the Government to the medical institutions in Cambodia ? Cambodia has continuously been reforming its healthcare policies and administration , according to current needs . This proactiveness is expected to enhance healthcare capacity and access to healthcare and improve e�isting facilities , especially in the provinces .
Along with this , the Government also maintains
60 JULY 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com