Oldest University in Cambodia
Today I am so glad to join with all of you to inaugurate new buildings of ten stories in the University of Health Sciences and to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the University itself. Taking its date into consideration the University of Health Sciences (UHS) was older that I am because it is now 70 years of age. HE Mam Bun Heng, Minister of Health, also said that it is the oldest University in Cambodia.
I would like to take this time to express my sincere appreciation for the efforts made jointly in UHS after being idle in between 1975 and 1979. I joined the re-opening of UHS, if I am not mistaken, in early January 1980. It was the first review conference of the Ministry of Health, which since 1980, the ministry never fails to convene such meeting. By making every efforts – seeking help from outside and using local resource, which I said using palm leaves to wrap up palm sugar – we have been able to put more buildings in place. The first building I inaugurated on 3 October 2007 was one that called “Samdech Hun Sen. Building.” The second one inaugurated by HE Kittisedhabandit Keat Chhon in March 2014 on my behalf. Today, we are putting a third building in to place here together.
Youth and Children Have Better Chance Now
We must see that younger people, youth and children, are now very lucky. Why do I say so? It is because they now live in peace. They do not live in wartime. This is a new situation. Youth and children in the wartime of 1970s and there later, such as the regime of genocide, until peace reigns thanks to the win-win policy, have suffered all sort of threats. Now that the state has provided chances for them, schools and hospitals, you must reap the chances.
I may recall that in 1970s, when the war broke out, a majority of Cambodian youths had joined the national liberation movement against foreign aggression. Someone asked me to join medical study. Should I accepted, I could have been a medical person myself. I did not accept because I was not comfortable with needle. I then affirmed to them that I was there to be a soldier. If I were to wish for becoming a medical staff, I would have stayed in Phnom Penh. My wife was a physician and I have a daughter in law who is a public health expert, not a medical person.
A Solution for Four Medical Students Met on Train
Let me ask if the four students who met me on the train the other day are here. They knew I was traveling by train. They bought train tickets and joined the journey on the day I travelled to the city of Sihanoukville. I walked from wagon to wagon. I came to meeting with the four students. I called them to see me. I noticed red threads they were wearing in their wrists. “Why are you wearing so many threads,” I asked. They said they had to beg help from powerful spirit (of banner holder in front of the Royal Palace) for them to have a chance to see me. I learnt their problem and wish and we have provided with a solution. As far as I know, HE Mam Bun Heng also continues to provide them with help until they graduate […]
Students with Temporary Status Become Full-Right Ones
As for now, we no longer have temporary students. In fact, there seem to be more than 66 temporary students who have been allowed to study. Those of you who have passed the entry exam for medical study with temporary status will now be full right students. Some 99 students who have failed verbal exam but passed their theoretical exams are making comments everyday in my Facebook. They argued that their grades are better than even those who have passed the exams with temporary status, only they failed in their verbal exam, why their cases are not considered. I owed them this answer.
I discussed with HE Mam Bun Heng and rector of the UHS. We have come to an agreement that from now on there will be no students who passed exams with temporary status anymore. We must be clear with number how many will be chosen for class, and how many will follow training to be specialists. This year we allow them to be full right students. I think I have answered your questions now. All 99 students who passed theoretical exams but failed verbal session are allowed to study.
Entry Exam Fee to Reduce from Riel 600,000 to Riel 100,000
I have also requested earlier to reduce the entry exam fee from Riel 600,000 to Riel 100,000. When the issue was brought to me, I demanded for a revision. In one Cabinet meeting, there was a request to reduce from Riel 600,000 to Riel 360,000. I called HE Mam Bun Heng sounding out my concern that Riel 360,000 is still a big sum for the poor. We then came down to Riel 100,000. This should help relieve burden for some who even had to borrow people’s money to take entrance exam.
There is one other thing we have adjusted. We have determined ages of those who could join in the government payroll from medical experts. However, normally specialists would have to spend longer time to study than those who study to become a general doctor. That they have to spend longer time, when they finished their studies, these medical specialists are in their older ages and could not take exam to join the government payroll. This has led to people with specialization become contracted staff and supervised by those who learnt in a shorter period but are in the government payroll. There are some 330 of them and we already resolved the problem.
Through Facebook, Many Issues Brought to Me for Solution
Since when I used Facebook, I have received many requests and clarifications on every issue. That is why my Facebook page enjoys up to nearly four million fans. I do not use Facebook in competition with anyone. I apply e-government in practice. I learn the problem. We learn the problem. We provide solution. With solutions we provide so far and today, I hope those students who brought their complaints to my Facebook would have different messages […] we have now incorporated 3,689 contracted medical staff into government payroll. I would seek understanding from those like drivers, etc. who demanded similar treatments. We cannot do that for you. Otherwise, we would face with no way out. We only do this for Ministry of Health and not for every ministry. We also do this for medical personnel only. I am glad that we have been able to exercise reform aimed at serving our students and people.
Boot at AEON for Change of Driving License
Yesterday HE Sun Chanthol, Minister of Transports and Public Works directed a reform in practice by setting up a boot serving people’s need for change of driving license. People complained about driving licenses for motorcyclists who drive 125 CC cylinder and smaller ones. It is true people may borrow each other’s bike but they may not use same driving license. The best way to deal with this issue is to allow them use motorbike of 125 CC and smaller engine to drive without having to have driving license. However, they would need ones when they drive motorbikes of bigger cylinder than 125 CC. This should facilitate process and I am glad that we have worked together to make this happen.
I hope that we will continue together to make journey forward based on achievements we have made. In health, it demands actions not only in health related sectors but also other institutions. Take for instance, it would be good if nobody suffers any injuries or there were no traffic accident. Medical staff will take care of injured people who happened to cause themselves problem. Medical staff could not sleep or rest, to be frank. There was a time when brother Chea Sim, brother Heng Samrin, brother Say Phuthong all said to me to let my wife become a physician. I said no. I did not like to wait for my wife who had to be on duty. All she should do is to take medical care of our family and children […]
One or Two Disrepute the Rest
I have said already that majority of medical persons are doing what they can to save people’s lives. A few would have lacked the criteria and it is not a falsehood of the medical institution. I disagree with a statement that 90% of our medical persons are not good. I think it is more of an underestimation of morals of our medical persons. If they are not good how our population can grow from about five million to 15 million in Cambodia. Cambodia’s population growth stands number 7 in ASEAN.
I have made many myself. I have now 17 grandchildren and another one will come soon. My eldest son (Hun Manet) here and his wife have all daughters and no sons. What will you say with your father? My daughter in law is a Ph D in public health. They could not find a son for me. That other one (son) has all four sons and no daughters. Now that another grandson is coming in a few months, I will have a football team of grandsons.
Yesterday I met with a German minister. I said next time we would be asking Germany for help in soccer. I hope in fifteen years time, our national football team will take on national team from Germany. Germany won 2-0 against Ukraine. It will meet with Poland’s team. Russia lost to Slovakia. Romani drew with Switzerland 1-1, while France beat Albania 2-0. France goes into Pool A […]
I thank the efforts made by the Ministry of Health and partners as well as those of UHS itself. I am so glad to be able to honor the inauguration and to set out solutions for students with temporary status, and who failed verbal session in their exams […]./.
