PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 -- The Chinese government provided 200 sets of ambulances to the Cambodian Ministry of Health on Friday to contribute to the development of health sector.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo signed to deliver the ambulances to Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Bunheng said the ambulances were a new assistance that China provided to Cambodia for health sector development, expressing gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their generous support to Cambodia.

"The donation of a large number of ambulances is timely and essential for Cambodia to enhance health sector and to improve health for the Cambodian people," he said. "With the ambulances, the Ministry of Health will have greater possibility to transport patients nationwide, especially in the rescues of sick people, disaster- or epidemic-suffered victims, traffic accident victims, and so on."

Ambassador Bu said China learned that many hospitals and health centers, especially those in rural and far-flung areas of Cambodia, have a shortage of ambulances to serve patients.

"The ambulances will be allocated to hospitals and health centers in all 25 cities and provinces in order to enhance the capacity of saving patients in emergency cases," she said. " China hopes that the ambulances will relieve difficulties of those hospital and health centers and Cambodian patients will get benefit from them."

Meanwhile, Bu reiterated that China would continue assisting Cambodia in socio-economic development and poverty reduction.