Cambodia Holds Consultation Meeting to Enhance Social Security Healthcare Services

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training hosted a consultation meeting on enhancing the efficiency of healthcare service provision and payment mechanisms for the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The meeting, held on July 3, 2026, in Phnom Penh, brought together over 80 participants from the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Health, Medical Council, NSSF, the National Social Security Council Secretariat, the Agency for Certifying Expenses, the Social Security Regulator, and partner healthcare facilities. This significant meeting aimed to review the system for providing services, exchange views, and gather input to find solutions to challenges related to the implementation of agreements on healthcare service utilization and provision, as well as to establish appropriate and more effective and sustainable payment mechanisms for NSSF members. This comes at a time when the number of service users at partner hospitals, both public and private, particularly national-level hospitals, is continuously increasing. Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, Heng Sour, who also chairs the NSSF Board of Directors, stated that the government pays high attention to providing NSSF services to its members, covering work injury risks, healthcare, and pensions, making these services increasingly popular and attracting more citizens, especially in the healthcare sector. He added that the government also envisions expanding the coverage of NSSF services sustainably, based on the principles of equity and equality, without relying solely on the national budget. Minister Heng Sour noted that NSSF members currently tend to use services at national-level hospitals with confidence. Concurrently, he highlighted the necessity of jointly seeking methods to encourage NSSF members to utilize services at the local level, such as provincial or district referral hospitals. This approach would help alleviate the burden on national hospitals and generate revenue for local hospitals to enhance their capacity, particularly in specialized equipment, human resources, consultation rooms, and inpatient beds, enabling them to meet the needs of members. Following a presentation by H.E. Khun Channarith, Deputy Director-General of NSSF, on the implementation of agreements, healthcare service utilization, and payment mechanisms between NSSF and partner healthcare facilities, the meeting engaged in a lively discussion, offering significant recommendations to address these challenges in line with the government's considerations. The meeting expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Labour for organizing the event to inform them of the NSSF's status and to support the strategic and far-sighted remarks of H.E. Heng Sour. H.E. Heng Sour expressed his profound gratitude to the attendees and highly valued the fruitful discussions, considering them valuable input for implementation. He encouraged the participants to continue their collaboration to achieve the common goal of maintaining the sustainability of NSSF operations and improving the health of Cambodian citizens.