Feature Interview Building Trust: What Cambodia's Next Wave of Private Hospitals Demands from a Design & Build Partner Spotlight Series - Dr. Bunpa Poly

Cambodia's healthcare sector is entering a new phase. A flagship $300M hospital is rising in Phnom Penh, Japanese investors are scoping a private hospital in the capital, Chinese-funded upgrades are underway in Preah Sihanouk, and a new outpatient building is taking shape at Preah Netr Preah Referral

Hospital in Banteay Meanchey. Behind every one of these projects sits the same quiet pressure: a hospital is not a commercial building with medical equipment inside it. It is a clinical instrument, a place of

recovery, and — for many Cambodian patients walking through the door — a source of real fear. As more investors, foreign and domestic, enter this space, the partner who can translate a clinical brief into a compliant, buildable, human-centred facility becomes the deciding factor in whether a project succeeds.

We sat down with Dr. Bunpa Poly, an oncology and hematology specialist at Orange Cancer Clinic, to unpack what that translation actually requires.

A Vision Built on Trust, Not Just Technology

Dr. Poly's starting point isn't square footage or specification sheets — it's how a patient feels the moment

they walk in.

“Local patients often feel stress when they come to the hospital, so a human-centreddesign space should be calm, clean, filled with natural light, and provide waiting areas that reduce anxiety. It must feel welcoming, not frightening.”

That single idea reframes what “future-ready” healthcare architecture means in Cambodia. It isn't about importing the tallest, shiniest facility from abroad — it's about designing spaces that hold clinical rigor and human warmth at the same time. As international capital flows into Cambodian healthcare, the firms capable of holding both of those truths at once are the ones investors and clinicians alike will trust with

the next generation of hospitals. This is precisely the space Mekarcube is built to occupy — an integrated

design and build partner fluent in both clinical specification and Cambodian regulatory delivery, positioned to lead the country's transition into smarter, more trusted healthcare infrastructure.

Local Relevance, Technical Precision

Ask Dr. Poly where global healthcare standards meet Cambodian reality, and he doesn't hesitate: light

and air.

“Good architecture is designed with natural light and ventilation integration, especially for healthcare and hospital buildings.”

But healing environments have limits — not every space can simply be opened up.

“Some functions cannot be open due to air-quality control, which helps prevent airborne diseases from spreading, and certain specialized rooms must be separated or shielded for radiation medical equipment.”

This is the technical balancing act at the heart of every Cambodian hospital project: openness where it

calms the patient, containment where it protects them. On the ground, that translates into decisions most

patients never notice but every clinician relies on. Dr. Poly points to what he's seen adopted across private clinics and new public hospitals alike — antimicrobial vinyl for seamless, easy-clean flooring,

chamfered skirting that prevents dust from collecting in corners, and negative-pressure rooms integrated

directly into the clinical plan.

“Yes, material choice is very important for healthcare projects, and I believe they are specified by architects and engineers who specialize in designing and building hospitals.”

These are not aesthetic choices. They are infection-control decisions, made visible in the finish of a wall

or the fall of a floor.

Challenges & Strategic Solutions

Designing for a Future That Hasn't Arrived Yet

Healthcare equipment and departments evolve faster than buildings do. The challenge, as Dr. Poly

frames it, is that most projects are locked onto “program, function, and budget at that particular time,”

leaving little room to imagine what the clinic will need in five years. His solution is early collaboration:

doctors and design teams at the same table from day one, discussing phasing before a single wall goes

up.

“When stakeholders discuss this early, enough planning and consideration can be made so the clinical interior is phased to allow department changes or future equipment upgrades with minimum disruption to the building structure.”

For a design and build partner, this means treating flexibility as a specification, not an afterthought —

building in the capacity to expand a department or swap in new equipment without tearing into the

structure that supports it.

Wiring the Hospital Before It's Built, Not After

The same early-planning discipline applies to digital infrastructure. Retrofitting cabling and data pathways

into a functioning hospital isn't just inconvenient — it disrupts patient care mid-operation.

“I strongly agree that such systems should be designed from the start rather than retrofitted. Retrofitting would disturb daily operations and create many unwanted disruptions.”

The strategic solution is straightforward in principle and demanding in execution: conduit pathways, data

points, and technology capacity planned at concept stage, so the building is ready for the equipment and

systems of tomorrow without ever closing its doors to do it.

Designing a Hospital Patients Can Trust

Beyond infection control and future-proofing sits a quieter challenge — helping frightened, often confused

patients find their way. Dr. Poly describes what human-centred design means in practice: clear way-finding in Khmer and English, simple directional signage, and a physical environment that communicates the clinic's values before a single word is spoken. He points to her own clinic as an example:

“Orange Cancer Clinic uses warm colors and a supportive environment to show care and hope. Since cancer treatment can be fearful and overwhelming for most patients, the brand image must communicate compassion and professionalism.”

For a design and build partner, this is where clinical planning and brand identity converge — a hospital's

architecture becomes the first, and often most lasting, message it sends to the people it serves.

Building the Trust Cambodia's Healthcare Sector Needs

Dr. Poly's closing thought is a call to action as much as a reflection: with a population of 18 million and

growing, Cambodia urgently needs more general and specialized hospitals and clinics, built by a sector

where public and private investment can grow together.

“Strengthening healthcare at home will build trust, improve access, and ensure that Cambodian patients can receive world-class care within their own country.”

That is the standard the next wave of Cambodian hospital investment will be measured against — not

just square meters delivered, but trust earned. As Japanese, Chinese, and regional investors weigh

where to build, the partner who understands both the clinical brief and the Cambodian ground it stands

on will be the one who turns that investment into care patients actually trust. Mekarcube sees this not as a construction opportunity, but as a chance to help shape what Cambodian healthcare becomes next.