PHNOM PENH: Her Majesty the Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, Queen Mother of Cambodia and Honorary President of the Cambodian Red Cross, thanked the Royal Government for the initiative to transform Luong Me Hospital into a cancer hospital. Her Majesty expressed her thanks when the President of the Cambodian Red Cross, First Lady Bun Rany Hun Sen, and her delegation paid their respects at the Royal Palace on Wednesday, 1 June.

Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk praised the success of the Royal Government of Cambodia in controlling Covid-19 and also expressed her support and thanks for the initiative to transform Luong Me Hospital into a cancer hospital, which she said has helped to address the immediate health needs of people across the country.

The idea of transforming Luong Me Hospital into a cancer hospital was first raised by the Prime Minister's daughter-in-law, Pich Chanmony, and then supported by the Prime Minister.

While speaking at a meeting with the Samdech Techo Voluntary Youth Doctor Association on 17 May, Prime Minister Hun Sen instructed the Minister of Health to prepare the hospital to become a cancer specialist hospital after it was no longer treating any more Covid-19 patients.

The Prime Minister said, "Now there are no more Covid-19 patients, so this hospital should be turned into a cancer hospital. Because we do not send Covid-19 patients there anymore. Because, along with Covid-19, we have to consider other diseases as well, so transform Luong Me Hospital toward treating cancer."

In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2021, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the government to buy Nokor Tep Women’s Hospital, located in Sangkat Prey Sar, Khan Dangkor, Phnom Penh, for the purpose of treating Covid-19 patients. This hospital will soon be used for cancer treatment. ‘Luong Me,’ which means, ‘Queen-Mother,’ was named in honor of Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk.