Hun Manet, a member of the ruling Cambodian People Party’s (CPP) Central Committee and head of the party’s youth wing, offered his admiration to the Kingdom’s medical professionals, particularly in light of the service during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At an April 30 meeting with party members and medical staff, he described the Kingdom’s medics as an “army clothed in white” and “frontline soldiers”.
In a social media post after the meeting, he noted that the gathering would not have been possible two years ago, while Phnom Penh was facing a potential outbreak of the virus.
“More than two years ago, due to the outbreak … we were all deeply concerned about how the situation would develop. The situation was difficult to predict, especially against a backdrop of the unrest that was occurring in various countries in the region and the world at that time,” he wrote.
“I have so much admiration and respect for the medical professionals in Phnom Penh and across the country who united in solidarity with the people and worked tirelessly to perform their duties. They did not consider their own lives, but dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to saving and protecting the lives of others. They cared for the young and the old alike, and saved more people than we will ever know,” he added.
He pointed out that these formidable achievements were born of the favourable conditions of peace, which provided the necessary environment for the reconstruction and development of all sectors, following the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge on January 7, 1979 and the end of the Cambodian Civil War in 1998.
Prime Minister Hun Sen identified both the Kingdom’s long-standing peace and its successful fight against the Covid-19 virus as the two factors which had led to its successful hosting of major international events.
He said Cambodia was internationally recognised as a country that had managed and handled Covid-19 well and turned the crisis into an opportunity to deepen the implementation of key economic reforms.
According to the Ministry of Health, as of May 1, Cambodia had recorded a total of 138,733 cases of Covid-19, with 135,675 recoveries and 3,056 deaths.
