Background
The Ministry of Health manages national emergency medical transport as part of its mandate to ensure timely referral and care within the public health system; the ministry coordinates asset allocation and operational guidance for provincial health departments. Ten Toyota Land Cruiser ambulances (2025 series) were provided under an Asian Development Bank loan as part of the Health Security Project-Additional Financing (HSP-AF).
Local deployment supports service continuity in regions with limited access to tertiary hospitals by improving transport capacity and referral links. The ambulances were distributed to eight provincial health departments: Pursat, Koh Kong, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Svay Rieng and Siem Reap.
Key Developments
On the morning of 15 May 2026, His Excellency Professor Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, presided over a handover ceremony for the new vehicles funded through the ADB loan under HSP-AF. The ten vehicles are Toyota Land Cruiser 2025 models with a reported combined value of USD 711,000 and will be allocated to eight provincial health departments to support patient transport and emergency response.
Operational Implications
The ministry directed provincial health facilities to prioritise ambulance use for patient benefit and urgent medical transport, and to establish regular maintenance schedules to preserve vehicle readiness. Allocating new ambulances to provincial health departments strengthens referral pathways by increasing the availability of dedicated transport for critical cases, particularly in remote and border districts where access to hospital care is limited.
Official Source
Ministry of Health Facebook post, 15 May 2026: https://www.facebook.com/MinistryofHealthofCambodia/posts/pfbid0268bksvcNqc9oiZSzsR1hKnJLtmL2zUB6iRXjQh5eGzp9vwBG8nyjp7mz22Gcov7ul
