Interview: China's aid in medical treatment has "great value" for Cambodia: Cambodian hospital chief

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's assistance in medical treatment has "great value" for Cambodia and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives in nearly a decade, said Lt. Gen. Ly Sovann, director of the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital, also known as the military hospital, here.

Since 2007 until now, China, through the Defense Ministry and the People's Liberation Army, has provided a variety of sophisticated medical equipment and supplies to the hospital, he said.

"Moreover, China has sent its medical specialists to train Cambodian doctors on how to use those medical equipment and supplies," Sovann told Xinhua in an interview earlier this week.

Last December, China delivered medical equipment worth roughly 2.5 million U.S. dollars to the hospital, he said. Also, the Chinese Defense Ministry had recently signed up to provide other medical equipment and supplies worth about 5 million U.S. dollars to the hospital's cardiology unit.

The director said that cooperation between the hospital and its Chinese counterpart provides a long-term benefit to the Cambodian people.

"All Chinese assistance to the hospital has no strings attached at all," he said. "They (Chinese people) help us sincerely and fondly, and treat us as brothers."

Sovann said the Chinese aid has "great value" for the hospital, soldiers and poor patients and is the "life" of the hospital.

"Cambodian doctors have got expertise in using hi-tech medical equipment, as hundreds of thousands of patients, both soldiers and civilians, have received a reliable medical treatment," he said.

According to Sovann, the hospital operated on more than 1,000 patients per year.

With China's help, he said the hospital has rapidly developed and is gradually well-known among local people.

However, the director said there is difficulty in maintenance and repair work of medical equipment because the equipment suppliers are based in China and have no branches in Cambodia.

Currently both sides are working together to resolve this problem in order to ensure the effectiveness of those pieces of medical equipment.

Thanks to good relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China, Sovann is optimistic that China will expand its assistance to the hospital through providing more medical equipment and supplies as well as experts for the cardiology and neurology units.

Founded in 1866 during the French protectorate, the hospital currently has more than 1,000 staff, he said.