PHNOM PENH: UNICEF donated $7 million worth of medical equipment for oxygen therapy to the Ministry of Health. Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, Youk Sambath, and UNICEF Country Director, Dr. Will Parks, attended the handover ceremony of medical equipment on June 12.
Dr. Parks said that the donation is part of UNICEF's efforts to strengthen Cambodia's health system and provide equitable primary health care in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Dr. Parks, UNICEF has provided more than $44 million in assistance to Cambodia since the outbreak of Covid-19, and has included medical equipment, refrigerators, vaccines and medication. The assistance was provided with the support of a number of partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the governments of Japan, Australia and the Czech Republic.
He added that UNICEF will remain committed to supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia in ensuring equitable access to quality health services and further reducing maternal and infant mortality rates in order to ensure the health and well-being of all children so that the country can realize its potential.
Sec. Youk Sambath thanked UNICEF for its generous support in providing essential health services for women and children, routine immunizations and reproductive health services. "Our partnership with UNICEF has strengthened the health care system and human resource quality. Today's donation of oxygen therapy equipment is a step toward the modernization of medical equipment and tracking systems that can help reduce maternal, infant and child mortality," she said.
The $7 million donation includes oxygen level monitors, blood oxygen monitors, lung oxygen injectors and other oxygen therapy devices. The medical equipment will be distributed to 131 health centers, including national, provincial and district hospitals, across the country in the coming weeks.
These donated materials will ensure that patients who need oxygen therapy receive life-saving treatment for respiratory infections and other conditions, such as neonatal hypoxia.
