Health minister Chheang Ra inspects a Cambodian soldier’s wounds during a visit to the Poipet Referral Hospital. - PPP/ANN
PHNOM PENH: Minister of Health Chheang Ra has praised medical staff at Poipet Referral Hospital as “frontline heroes” for continuing to provide life-saving services to civilians, displaced families and security forces amid the recent armed clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border.
During a February 1 inspection tour of the hospital, the minister said the dedication of health workers during the conflict amounted to a visible form of national defence, describing their work as a vital contribution to protecting lives under extraordinary circumstances.
“Every positive action taken by you is an act of life-saving protection recognised by the Cambodian nation,” the minister said, likening the commitment of medical personnel to the courage of soldiers and police operating under fire.
Ra acknowledged that the hospital staff had continued to perform their duties despite personal risk, ensuring that no patient was denied medical care, even as the area faced attacks linked to Thai military action.
During the visit, the minister and senior officials delivered medical equipment and supplies donated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Cambodia through the Ministry of Health.
The assistance was handed over to the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Health Department to support emergency responses in border provinces and to assist vulnerable women, mothers and newborns.
The minister expressed gratitude to health officials at all levels for their strong sense of responsibility, professional ethics and unwavering commitment to serving the public, displaced persons and security personnel during the Cambodia–Thailand border tensions.
“The resilience of Cambodia’s healthcare system continues to strengthen,” he said, encouraging health workers to remain steadfast in improving public health outcomes.
“This is the true spirit of the ‘white-coated heroes’ — sacrificing personal safety for the people and the nation,” he added.
Beyond expressions of gratitude, the minister also outlined the government’s forward-looking priorities, calling on health officials to further strengthen their technical skills and leadership capacity through continued training.
He said such efforts were essential to reinforcing border hospitals as resilient institutions capable of responding effectively to future emergencies and national crises.
The visit underscored Poipet Referral Hospital’s strategic role as a key healthcare facility in a sensitive border area, where medical services have become an integral part of humanitarian response and national stability.
The minister reiterated that the health ministry, together with healthcare partners nationwide, would continue to stand alongside frontline health workers, both in normal times and during periods of national challenge.
The visit formed part of a two-day January 31 and February 1 mission, during which a ministry delegation inspected operational and reopened health facilities in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Banteay Meanchey provinces.
The mission aimed to assess the restoration of health infrastructure and broader efforts to strengthen the healthcare system to ensure continuity of care, even during national crises. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
