KOICA Inaugurated Infrastructural Project while Health Project Starts

KOICA Inaugurated Infrastructural Project while Health Project Starts

KOICA News Release: translate from local newspaper

Raksmei Kampuchea Daily:

Year 18 Volume 5287, Friday, August 27, 2010

Read this article in Khmer link here: KOIKOICA Inaugurated Infrastructural Project while Health Project Starts

Siem Reap: On a single day of mid-August 2010, KOICA Cambodia Office organized two events in Siem Reap province, one is the Ground-Breaking Ceremony of Mother and Child Healthcare Center (MCMC) Building at Siem Reap Provincial Hospital, and another one is the Inauguration Ceremony of Solar Streetlights in Provincial Town under the presidency of Mr. Park Dae-won, President of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Mr. Park Dae-won said that this 3.3 million USD project is the outcome of agreement signed by the Ministry of Health and KOICA Cambodia Office on May 07, 2010 in Phnom Penh to build Mother and Child Healthcare Center building at Siem Reap Provincial Hospital. He added this project aims at strengthening capacity of healthcare service in hospital by establishing Mother and Child Medical Center and providing training to Khmer doctors and nurses; and improving the public health sector of Cambodia by applying Korean expertise and practices in the hospital. The project will be implemented for 2 years from 2010 to 2012.

Dr. Mam Bunheng , Minister of Health said that the development of health sector is one of the priorities of KOICA in Cambodia. Since 2004, KOICA has provided 3 main projects to Cambodia related to heath sector such as, Modern Hospital for Children at National Pediatric Hospital in Phnom Penh, Korea-Cambodia Friendship Hospital in Kampong Chhnang, and Mother and Child Medical Center in Siem Reap province. Furthermore, KOICA also has a program called Korea Oversea Volunteers which has dispatched more and more Korean volunteers to work in health organizations and communities in Cambodia.

He continued that APSARA Authority and ASIANA Airline Company celebrated the Inauguration Ceremony Solar Streetlights at Siem Reap as well. The Inauguration Ceremony took place at Krous Primary School which is presided over by Mr. Sou Phirin, Siem Reap governor.

The solar streetlights were designed as a colorful Saeg-Dong Tree which is a type of tree in Korea, are made from stainless steel with 5.6 m and 4.35 m high. With advanced technology, these lights consume only solar energy and equipped with LED technology to light.

Up to the present, 16 solar streetlights were completely installed in some places in Siem Reap provincial town with total amount of $83,000. During the ceremony, KOICA, APSARA Authority, and ASIANA Airline will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to continue to install up to 50 solar streetlights within 5 years, with the average of 5 to 7 lights per year.

In Cambodia, KOICA has its own assistance strategy to help the Royal Government of Cambodia to achieve National Development Goal through the integrated strategy with National Strategic Development Plan and Rectangular Strategy. KOICA focuses on 4 priority sectors – Rural Development, Health, Education and Infrastructure.