Int’l medical team provides free services

M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon | Sat, 07/31/2010 11:48 AM

Medical teams from various countries collaborated in the 2010 Pacific Partnership Mission to provide free medical services to thousands of coastal residents in Maluku.

The humanitarian mission was carried out for three days from July 27 in a number of locations in the region. It was part of the Sail Banda event, which will be attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono on Aug. 3.

More than 17,000 people received health services, said Pacific Partnership Mission Commander Capt. Lisa M. Franchetti. Around 105 doctors were involved in the mission, consisting of 40 doctors manning onshore health posts and 65 doctors aboard the USNS Mercy hospital ship.

“Medical examinations and treatment are conducted at the health posts on land as well as aboard the USNS Mercy,” Franchetti told The Jakarta Post at a health post in Pelauw village, Haruku Island, on Thursday.

More than 10 health posts have been set up on Seram, Ambon and Haruku islands to support the

program. To reach posts outside Ambon city, medical teams and logistics were airlifted by two helicopters on stand-by aboard the USNS Mercy.

“The most common sickness is sore eyes. More than 500 patients come each day to have their eyes treated. Besides medicine, we also provide eyeglasses. Many of the residents also complain about internal illnesses and a number of common ailments,” Franchetti said.

Ailments requiring surgery on board the USNS Mercy include kidney problems, prostate cancer, hernia and cleft palate, Franchetti said.

Members of the medical team on board the USNS Mercy are able to perform between 150 and 200 surgeries daily, while the on-land health posts provide medical treatment for common ailments, such as sore eyes, toothaches, internal diseases and skin ailments.

The medical workers mark the patients with colored wrist bands according to their ailments, such as red for sore eyes, purple for toothaches and yellow for common

illnesses.

Data on patients and their ailments are recorded on computers using the Civil Humanitarian Information Management Expeditionary System (CHIMES).

“We will give this data to the Maluku governor after our mission in Maluku is over, and we will also submit it to the Health Ministry,” Franchetti said.

Besides the presence of the USNS Mercy from the US, a number of countries have also dispatched hospital ships. Singapore deployed its RSS Endevour, while Australia contributed the services of two heavy landing craft (HLC) — HMAS Labuan (L128) and HMAS Tarakan (L129).

Other countries taking part in the program include Canada, Cambodia, New Zealand, the UK and Indonesia. As many as 17 international relief organizations also took part in the mission by sending activists and relief aid.

Indonesia, Cambodia ink cultural deal

The Jakarta Post, Sat, 02/28/2009 11:11 AM  

INDONESIA: Indonesian Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on culture with Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Him Chhem at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday. 

The cooperation covers the research and development of culture, education and training, joint promotion of culture and arts, world heritage, dialogues on culture and arts, and cultural information exchanges 

Both countries have arranged short- and middle-term programs, ranging from 2009-2011 and 2000-2014, respectively. Among the programs are a seminar on illicit trafficking of cultural properties, exchange of experts in cultural heritage management and training in the investment for the use of heritage, including filmmaking. 

"Indonesia and Cambodia have had close relations for thousands of years. We hope the cooperation will boost the ties," Jero said. 

Minister Him Chhem also expressed hope that Indonesia and Cambodia would boost cooperation in culture and tourism. 

"Both countries have similar heritage. Cambodia has close ties with Indonesia and we hope to have beneficial cooperation," he said. --JP/Ni Komang Erviani

Cambodian bizmen wish to do business with Indonesians

Phnom Phen (ANTARA News) - Some 25 Cambodian businessmen have expressed interest in establishing business contacts with Indonesians among other things in the industry and tourism sectors. 

The Cambodian businessmen expressed their wish to cooperate with Indonesian businessmen during a "Business Matching" function, in Phnom Phen on Tuesday. 

Harry Warganegara, chairman of the Indonesian Young Businessmen Association (HIPMI), who also attended the event said that the Cambodian businessmen were interested in cooperation in hotel business and tourism industry. 

In addition, they also wish to purchase construction materials and handicraft products from Indonesia, Harry said. 

Meanwhile, South Korean builder living in Cambodia, JW Kim of Young Shim Trading Co., said Cambodia has been importing cement from Thailand. 

"Indonesian cement is of course good, but it is a question whether the price is competitive or not?" Kim said when attending the Indonesian Trade dan Tourism Promotion in the Cambodian capital city. 

PT Bosowa`s production manager, Iwan Zulkarnaen said South Korean businessmen working in the Cambodian infrastructure sector, had showed a great interest in construction and building materials from Indonesia. 

"We will give competitive price so that Indonesian products can get a wider market in Cambodia," Iwan said. 

In the meantime, Lily Suliani Haryati, head of marketing extension for Asia, Australia and New Zealand at the National Agency for Export Development (BPEN) reminded Indonesian businessmen who wish to penetrate Cambodia`s market to select products for export to that country. 

Lily said that Indonesian Batik clothes are currently traded in Cambodia at low prices, but the Batik clothes came from Malaysia. 

This happened because there is no direct flight from Indonesia to Cambodia, she noted, adding that the quality of Cambodian garments are now getting better. 

Cambodia and Indonesia are part of the ten ASEAN member countries, which comprised Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, The Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Cambodia offering incentives to Indonesian investors

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Cambodia wants to step up and develop its export and import trade with Indonesia and is offering incentives to Indonesian businessmen willing to invest in Cambodia, a Cambodian trade official said.

Cambodia wants to increase and develop its business cooperation with Indonesian businessmen, Son Koun Thor, president of the Chamber of Professional and Micro Enterprises of Cambodia (CPMEC), said when visiting the National Agency for Export Development (NAFED) here Monday.

He said Indonesian businessmen willing to invest in Cambodia would be given incentives such as tax relief and the tax exemption facilities given to Cambodia by certain other countries including China.

The tax exemption facilities from China and other countries had so far remained unused because Cambodia was still unable to make the goods according to the quality standards required by those countries. Son hoped Indonesia and Cambodia could set up a joint venture company capable of producing goods that would qualify for the tax exemptions offered by China and the other countries.

Son is Indonesia at the head of a 12-member business and trade delegation from Cambodia.

He said his country was also willing to develop cooperation in the fields of tourism, handicraft, agriculture and construction with Indonesia.

During its stay in Indonesia, the Cambodian delegation would meet with the management of state oil and gas company Pertamina and the Solo branch of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Meanwhile, Lili Suliani, head of the Center for Development of Markets in the Asian, Australian and New Zealand Region, expressed hope Indonesian businessmen would take the Cambodian offer.

She said Indonesian businessmen needed to get a stronger foothold in Cambodia as Indonesian products had only slightly penetrated the Cambodian market.

According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the value of Indonesian non-oil/non-gas exports to Cambodia reached US$103.648 million in 2006, an increase of 10.34 percent from 2005 when the figure was only US$93.94 million.

Meanwhile, Indonesia`s imports from Cambodia in 2006 totaled US$1.06 million or an increase of 44.05 percent compared to 2005 when the figure was US$732.600.

Cambodia Forms New Flag Carrier With Indonesian Firms

Windsor Genova - AHN News Writer, November 23, 2007 10:25 p.m. EST

Chiang Mai, Thailand (AHN) - Cambodia expects to have a new national airline in six months after Phnom Pehn signed a joint venture deal with two Indonesian companies to form its flag carrier.

The Thailand-based Burmese news website The Irrawaddy reported on Saturday that Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and officials of the Rajawali Group and PT Ancora International signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the airline company.

Cambodia has no national flag carrier since the Royal Air Cambodge closed shop due to stiff competition and mismanagement more than five years ago.

The Indonesian partners are in cigarette, cement, telecommunications, hotel, resort, mining and airline business. They will hold a 49 percent stake in the still unnamed airline with the Cambodian government owning the rest. But the foreign partners, who will provide the capital, will get 70 percent of the profits and Phnom Pehn 30 percent.

Rajawali Group chairman Peter Sondakh said the new airline will be competitive with its better planes and better service. PT Ancora International managing director Vichit Ith said the new airline will support Cambodia's tourism industry.

Cambodia's tourism ministry said tourist arrivals in the country will reach 1.7 million this year. From January to September, 1.4 million tourists arrived in Cambodia, 19 percent more than the same period last year.