Construction is underway at the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Referral Hospital on a medical laboratory to be equipped with modern diagnostic equipment provided by the Global Fund and Chinese government.

Provincial Hall spokesman Kheang Phearum told The Post on December 23 that the government-funded facility is about 70 per cent complete.

“Once the laboratory building is completed, it will facilitate the diagnosis of common diseases, especially infectious diseases such as Covid-19,” he said.

On December 19, Minister of Health Mam Bunheng and provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun inspected progress at the construction site and agreed to expedite its completion.

In a Facebook post, the ministry said the lab is one of three medical facility expansion projects recommended by Prime Minister Hun Sen, along with the Battambang and Siem Reap provincial referral hospitals.

The Preah Sihanouk provincial laboratory is being built on 458sqm of land, under supervision of the provincial board of governors, and is scheduled to be completed early next year.

Speaking during the inspection, Bun Heng beseeched supervisors to ensure that the quality of the construction work will meet the precise technical standards required for the high-tech instruments to be used there.

Hospital director Seng Nong told The Post on December 23 that the new lab, when completed, will speed up testing for residents as well as tourists and foreign investors visiting the province.

“Once the laboratory is operational, travellers from abroad will be able to have their diagnostic testing conducted on-site here. This will make it easier, faster and more cost-effective,” he said.

Currently, according to Nong, Preah Sihanouk provincial health authorities typically collect 100 to 150 samples per day from tourists and foreign travellers which are then taken to the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge for testing.