In an act of compassionate giving, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport donated $200,000, gathered from the sale of personalised vehicle number plates, to both the Kantha Bopha Hospital and the National Pediatric Hospital.
This donation, intended to help these hospitals maintain free, high-quality treatment for children, was symbolically handed over in a ceremony on June 21.
Transport minister Sun Chanthol presided over the event, alongside representatives from both children’s hospitals. The funds originated from a unique event on March 7 and 8, celebrating the third year of personalised vehicle number plate sales.
“We commemorate the third anniversary of the sale of personalised license plates, a portion of the funds from which have been earmarked for national revenue, humanitarian activities, and treatment, with some part donated to the Cambodia Red Cross [CRC] and various hospitals,” Chanthol said.
Chanthol noted that he and Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth jointly petitioned Prime Minister Hun Sen to allocate $200,000 from these proceeds, with half going to each hospital.
The National Pediatric Hospital president, Nhep Angkeabos, expressed gratitude for the donation, stating: “We will utilise these funds to enhance paediatric care quality and fortify our local health sector, reducing the need for Cambodians to travel abroad for medical services.”
Building on this, Angkeabos stressed the importance of a robust health sector in deterring medical tourism, hence conserving national resources.
“With a stronger health sector, we can encourage more Cambodians to seek medical services locally, boosting our national revenue,” he said.
Ky Santy, director of Kantha Bopha Hospital Phnom Penh, endorsed the referral of severe cases to national medics. Speaking for the hospital foundation’s board of trustees, Santy remarked on the marked improvement in child mortality rates in Cambodian hospitals over the past two decades, crediting it to collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
