Various French companies specialising in medical technologies are looking to expand their business to Cambodia as the health sector continues to grow.

The French embassy hosted a conference Friday, June 19 inviting seven medical technology companies from France.

The companies took turns presenting their products to an audience of doctors, hospitals, distributors and experts in the medical field.

Among the companies present were ATA, Bertin Technologies, Delacroix Chevalier, Gelscom, Helioscope, Protecsom and Vygon.

The products ranged from medical waste treatment systems to specialised surgical instruments for cardiac and thoracic surgeries to single use medical devices.

Each company had a chance to present their products to distributors in Phnom Penh who act as the “middle-man” between the medical technology companies and potential clients.

With new hospitals in Phnom Penh opening up, the market for medical technologies has the opportunity to grow.

Jean Yves Catry, managing director for Medicom Co., Ltd., a supplier for medical equipment in Cambodia, said that the market is definitely growing in Cambodia as the medical sector becomes stronger.

According to Catry, selling the products to clients, such as hospitals or private clinics, comes down to price and quality.

“These products are always in demand, but the problem is the price. Sometimes when we introduce the products from China for cheaper, people are not interested because of [lower quality]. So, there is a bit of a conflict.”

Catry was particularly optimistic about selling one of the products presented at the conference: the medical waste treatment system from Bertin Technologies, a product he believes is most needed in Cambodia.

“If I had to choose one, I would choose the waste management [equipment],” he said. “I see a future with this product in Cambodia.”

Timothee Murcier, area export manager for Delacroix- Chevalier, a company that sells surgical instruments, said that over the last six or seven years, the company has been exporting its products to Asia, with their biggest market being in Japan, followed by Malaysia.

“The main reason [our products] do well in Malaysia is because we also give training so people use the surgical equipment correctly,” he said.

Murcier said that only two years ago, the market in Cambodia seemed bleak for Delacroix-Chevalier and it seemed as if the sector was locked.

After networking through NGOs in Cambodia and conducting both medical and market research, Murcier is optimistic about the company’s chance in the Cambodian health sector due to the rise of emerging hospitals.

“[The health sector] has to evolve or else Cambodian people will have to leave the country to find [proper healthcare] Though it’s not a huge country, there is potential.”