KANDAL: Minister of Public Works and Transport, Senior Minister Sun Chanthol, said that the Koh Thom Techo Hospital, located Kandal province, is scheduled to officially open in August 2023. He confirmed this in an interview with reporters at a handover ceremony for a donation from his ministry to two children’s hospitals on the morning of June 21. He said that the Techo Koh Thom Hospital, a large district hospital, has been completed and is scheduled to be officially inaugurated in August. The new Koh Thom Techo Hospital is an upgrade from the current Koh Thom District Referral Hospital, with a modern look and modern equipment to match. According to Senior Minister Sun Chanthol, the hospital building cost $9.2 million to build, and an additional $4-5 million was spent on the equipment inside. He noted that the money to construct the large hospital did not come from the state budget, but from donors, some of whom donated anywhere from half a million to one million dollars. He said that new hospital in not just local, but regional, and will function in accordance with international standards on par with major hospitals in Phnom Penh. This means quality treatment closer to home for those living in Kandal and Takeo provinces. The Senior Minister pointed out that the hospital currently has only 80 health professionals employed, which is far below the 180 doctors, nurses and administration the hospital requires. In fact, it does not yet have a director or vice president. He asked healthcare professionals interested in filling the positions to notify the Ministry of Public Works. Those eligible will be sent for two to three months of training in the United States to prepare them for their roles. The construction of Koh Thom Techo Hospital started on January 7, 2022. Upon opening, it should be able to provide public health services to more than 600,000 people living in Kandal and Takeo provinces.