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Unofficial Translation
Selected Comments at the Groundbreaking
of the Cho Ray—Phnom Penh Hospital Construction
15 May 2010
… It is my pleasure to be
able to join in the groundbreaking ceremony to build the Cho Ray - Phnom Penh
Hospital on the five hectare size land. I must say the hospital could perhaps be
one of the largest hospitals in terms of land size and capability for medical
checkup and treatment. I also should recall that this has been my call for about
ten years ago. According to HE Truong Vinh Trong it has been truly a short time
to get the project started after the conference on investment last December
2009. It has taken only six months for the project to get off.
However I may need to recall
a little background in relation to the hospital construction and investment
project. There could be two ways of thoughts in relation to this. First, from
December 2009 up to the present, it has indeed taken just a short time. But if
we go back further to when the dialogue started, it has indeed taken us quite a
long time. In fact the discussion started when HE Le Kha Phieu was in his
position as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the most
powerful person, in 2000. As of the moment of speaking, we are in 2010, which
means it has taken us some ten years. I could recall that Oknha Sok Kong has
come to me with many versions and more than one time to get my approval for the
hospital architecture blueprint.
Today I am witnessing the
reality of the project commencement and I am sure the project will be healthy.
HE Mam Bun Heng, the Cambodian Minister of Health, and his counterpart from
Vietnam, have mentioned already about cooperation between the hospital of Cho
Ray and the company of SOKIMEX – two leading companies with big shares in the
two countries. The investment also enjoys financial investment from Investment
and Development Bank of Vietnam and Investment and Development Bank of Cambodia,
and because of the two Banks’ commitments I am sure the two phase project for
the hospital construction and operation will be achieved as planned.
I would like to take this
opportune moment to thank HE Le Kha Phieu, former Secretary General of the
Communist Party of Vietnam and HE Truong Vinh Trong, Deputy Prime Minister of
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and other Vietnamese leaders for taking their
precious time to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony to build this huge Cho
Ray - Phnom Penh hospital ...
It is known to many that the
Cho Ray hospital is one of the famous hospitals in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh city
with a reputation known not only at national but also at regional level. There
have been a record that about 250 Cambodian patients who have traveled to
Vietnam per day for medical reason and treatment, and about two thirds of them
go to Cho Ray hospital.
I also used to go for medical
checkup at Cho Ray hospital and I have found out that the efficiency I got from
there is no less than those I am getting from medical service in France, Japan,
Singapore, China and Malaysia. Not only people in general but many Cambodian
leaders have also visited the Cho Ray hospital in Vietnam as well. Seeing that
the hospital service has a great significance for our people, I have proposed my
initiative to get the hospital built and operated in Phnom Penh to the
Vietnamese leaders.
The idea has been proposed to
various Vietnamese delegations from Vietnam, especially those coming from the
city of Ho Chi Minh and the Minister of Health of Vietnam has been a key person
to help speed up the process. Before we came to this Cho Ray - Phnom Penh
project, we have in fact established what we call the Cho Ray - Phnom Penh
liaison office. However, the office could no longer respond to a growing demand
and requirement for facilitation. In fact HE Sok Kong thought of building the
hospital near the Royal Palace, but because the area is small, he then has to
move out here to this side of the city that SOKIMEX has had to pump sand and
level up the land. This has taken time from the Cambodian side as well.
Then came a question, if we
were to build the hospital on this side of the river, how do we go about sorting
out traffic as at the time of thought we had only one Monivong bridge? Thanks to
the development plan of the Phnom Penh city, we have a new bridge that traveling
to and from the hospital to the main city area would not be in question anymore.
And because we will have a new bridge too at Neak Loeng (further down the Mekong
River on National Road 1 toward Vietnam) this part of the city is no longer a
suburban area ...
Once the hospital
construction is done we would be seeing a new material and technical facility
that is available locally and use of these facilities would help in cutting down
time wasting and other expenses.
I would like to thank the
Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for creating and providing
favorable conditions for the Cambodian citizens to cross the border for
treatment on the Vietnamese side. Our two countries have had many easy land
access points and transfer of patients to and from has not been that hard. I
also notice that some hospitals in Vietnam also implement favorable policies for
the Cambodian patients, such as the same rate of service charges as those of the
locals. This has in fact been a favorable policy that encourages Cambodian
patients to go over for treatment and checkup in Vietnam when the local
healthcare system lacks facility and could not provide alternative option for
their conditions.
It is in this regard that I
hope that once the hospital starts its operation, Vietnam would continue with
these policies so that Cambodia could go on sending their patients who are in
need of more advanced cares for checkup and treatment as before. Also once the
hospital operates, those who benefit from the service would not be only the
people of Cambodia but foreign citizens who are in Cambodia for business and
investment or tourism would also enjoy the service too. This will in effect
increase confidence and trust in the local facilities too. Tourists, though some
are quite old, would not hesitate to come for a visit to Cambodia as we have
trustworthy healthcare and service in various locations.
For those of our students who
have graduated from the school of medical nursery and midwife and who have yet
to find a hospital to practice their careers, you may agree with us that
building healthcare infrastructure ranging from hospital and training medical
persons to other concerned services need to be set as priority. Having them in
place those who have graduated from this profession would have a better chance
to find a job. I am so happy to have met here just now with those who have
graduated from midwife branch. It should be noticed that when I presided over
the inauguration of the School of Medical Nursery, midwifes was not on its
curriculum. Having seen that I have pushed for consideration on providing
training of midwifes that will in effect be helping us to bring down death rate
of delivery among child and/or mother.
I have a story to share with
you. It is indeed my own story but it is also a story for all. I wanted to have
a wife who has medical training background. In fact my wife is a midwife. I have
an advice for you that all of you who would want to get married to a medical
person must be prepared. In Pol Pot time, my wife was pregnant, and she had to
attend to a delivery. This is a case in point not only for men but also for
women. Anyone married to a medical person must be prepared to share their time
and must consider sharing time and help is an obligation.
In my capacity as the Prime
Minister and on behalf of the leaders of the Cambodian People’s Party I sent a
letter of invitation to former leaders of Vietnam – former Secretary General of
the Communist Party of Vietnam, HE Le Kha Phieu and former President of the
State of Vietnam HE Tran Duc Loeng for a visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia. As of
now HE Le Kha Phieu is my guest and his visit has been organized in line with
the groundbreaking ceremony here today. He was one of many former generals from
Vietnam who helped in liberating Cambodia and its people on January 7 from the
genocide of Pol Pot.
I have a wish to invite the
Vietnamese leaders whose contribution in the past have brought about the present
Cambodia to see Phnom Penh, a city they use to see no residents, to witness
current achievements and progresses that are totally different to what they
found under the Pol Pot’s genocide. From April 30, 1975, it has been over 35
years now that South Vietnam was liberated and the whole of Vietnam has been
united. During the ASEAN summit in Hanoi, on behalf of Cambodia, I wish Vietnam
the 35th anniversary of the liberation of Vietnam and the unification of the country – 30
April 1975 through to 2010.
In 1977 I fled from Cambodia
and went into Vietnam in search for a path to salvage the nation from the
genocide of Pol Pot and later to enjoy the support from Vietnam to form national
liberation armed forces, who present here today are some generals from the
Cambodian and Vietnamese armies. Though our countries – Cambodia and Vietnam –
were liberated at the same time, still the actual state of Vietnam has been
different from that of Cambodia. From our bare hands Cambodia has now problem of
traffic congestion.
HE Le Kha Phieu was a former
soldier and general of the Vietnamese voluntary army that shouldered with our
army to topple genocidal regime of Pol Pot and prevent it from returning to
power. As of now the genocidal leaders have been brought to confront with
justice after 30 years of their fallout. We were blamed for fighting Pol Pot and
punishment was brought upon us. However, after 30 years, trial of the former
head of the Pol Pot’s Tuol Sleng concentration and torturing camp was brought
for trial. Sometimes it requires not one or two but up to thirty years to find
justice.
It has not been peculiar that
Vietnam and Cambodia cooperated in the fight against the genocide and prevent
its return as they used to do that in the fight against former colonialists. As
is said in the speech by HE Truong Vinh Trong, the situation of Cambodia today
is different from that time. As for Vietnam it would be appropriate to say it
has proven to be one of the less affected economies from the financial and
economic crisis in the world. It has been known widely that Vietnam and China
are the two economies that are resilient to the impacts. At the time that
investment flow from other countries to Cambodia fell down, it seems that
investment flow from Vietnam into Cambodia has leveled out the losing part.
As of last year investment
project from Vietnam to Cambodia has been officially stated by Vietnam to be
some one billion US dollars whereas forthcoming projects would absorb some 4 to
7 billion US dollars for the coming years ... For just the passed five months we
have inaugurated a factory that produces agricultural fertilizer that is located
not far from here. There have been many projects that are for the benefits to
agricultural sector and infrastructural developments. The Cambodian national
civil aviation and banks are some of the developments so far noted.
The trade flow between our
two countries has been noted to be some two billion US dollars and I am sure
there have been some unrecorded ones too. A part of electric demand for Phnom
Penh has been and is to be supplied by Vietnam. We have first drafted a need for
some 80 megawatts from Vietnam for consumption in the city. As of now the amount
of electricity to be requested from Vietnam would reach 200 megawatts and the
current supply has reached 100 megawatts already. Some 20 megawatts more will be
coming sometime in June and this will make some provinces along the
Cambodian-Vietnamese border benefit from low price electricity.
I am sure the volume of trade
between our two countries will increase and Vietnam will become a new dragon in
Asia in the near future because of strong and broad based economic development
in the last years, which has in fact empower Vietnamese purchasing might whereby
its supply to partners would be increased and cooperation in the field of trade
and economics would better position other sectors as well, and politics is to be
included.
A pride I am taking is that
effort and success in laying out a foundation for good neighborly development in
which former battlefields have been transformed into development zones, and that
has in fact been fulfilled along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. My ambition is
to achieve the same situation with Laos and Thailand whereby a borderline of
friendship, peace and cooperation will be built. Areas transformed from former
1970-75 battles into economic zones have been that of Chantrea, Anlong Kreh and
Tralok Bek of Svay Rieng, where insecurity is no more the term but special
economic zone between Vietnam and Cambodia …
As weather turns out to be
nasty, advance rains came with deadly lightning, and diarrhea breakout reported,
I appeal to our people to exercise hygiene to protect families and communities
from diseases and be alert for lightning and dengue as rainy season arrives.
Local authorities and the Ministry of Health must raise vigilance and be
prepared to help people deal with the situations ...◉
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