Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo (L) hands over a symbolic key to Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 10, 2018. China on Thursday delivered the first batch of 20 mobile clinics to Cambodia in order to serve the country's rural communities, officials said. (Xinhua/Mao Pengfei)

PHNOM PENH, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday delivered the first batch of 20 mobile clinics to Cambodia in order to serve the country's rural communities, officials said.

The handover ceremony was made here between Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo and Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng.

Mobile clinics are buses specifically designed to be primary care clinics. Staffed by nurses, the clinics provide on-the-spot primary care for patients living in rural communities.

Supplied by Sinopharm Group, the mobile clinic was divided into seven sections and equipped with 22 kinds of advanced medical equipment that could effectively treat various common diseases, Xiong said.

He added that a team of Chinese medical experts would soon join their Cambodian counterparts to provide medical checkups and treatment to people in Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham province and Battambang province.

"We hope and believe that these mobile clinics will bring the Chinese people's friendly sentiments to the Cambodian people," he said, adding that this was another achievement marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia.

Bunheng said China signed to donate 40 mobile clinics to Cambodia in November last year, and the first batch of 20 mobile clinics was delivered to Cambodia today and the second batch of other 20 mobile clinics would be given to the country by October this year.

"This is the first time that China donated mobile clinics to Cambodia, and the mobile clinics will be allocated to all health departments in the country's 25 cities and provinces," he said. "These mobile clinics will bring health services with quality, safety and efficiency closer to the people."

The minister expressed his sincere and heartfelt thanks to China for the donation, saying that the mobile clinics would importantly contribute to enhancing the Cambodian people's well-being and life quality.

Voeurng Bunreth, director of the Battambang Provincial Health Department, said the mobile clinics were very important for people living in rural communities and his province had received two clinics.

"The donation of these mobile clinics to Cambodia is very useful for the Cambodian people who live in remote areas and are difficult to travel to health centers in towns. With these clinics, we can reach remote areas and help them," he told Xinhua.

Bunreth said the mobile clinics would provide medical services to residents in Battambang province from May 31 to June 4, and a Chinese medical team from Kunming City of southwest China's Yunnan province would also join the operation.

"We expect that we can provide medical services to around 2,000 people a day," he said.