The Ministry of Health has ordered public hospitals nationwide to test all patients for COVID-19 before they are admitted, according to a letter signed by Health Minister Mam Bun Heng.

Bun Heng on Saturday evening ordered the director-general of the National Hospital, and all other public hospitals across the nation, to ensure that normal medical services will still be provided in public hospitals if there is a COVID-19 outbreak.

He said that using Rapid Test Kits to test all patients upon entry to health facilities should be a standard operating procedure to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.

“All private doctors must provide separate rooms to provide emergency medical, surgical and obstetric services to patients who are positive for COVID-19, taking responsibility for their care and not discriminating against them until the patient is in a suitable condition to be sent to hospital for treatment designated by the Ministry of Health,” he added.

Bun Heng said that in the context of spreading COVID-19, all public hospital directors must continue to pay attention to the implementation of coronavirus prevention and control measures.

Dr Or Vanthen, director of the Kampong Speu Provincial Health Department, said that 115 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Saturday in the province, including five deaths.

Dr Vanthen said that out of the 115 patients, four were sent to Phnom Penh for further treatment and the remaining 106 are still being treated at Kampong Speu Provincial Hospital.

He added that as of Saturday, there were 1,019 people in quarantine and 50 people waiting for their test results in the province.

Kampong Speu Provincial Administration yesterday also issued guidelines on measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for employers and employees working in the province.

These guidelines included factory owners having to provide a list of the names of workers from other provinces to the Provincial Department of Labour for contact tracing purposes.

It said that for workers (Khmer or foreign) who return to work from other provinces or areas where COVID-19 has been spreading, the factory administration must send them to be tested in Kampong Speu Provincial Referral Hospital or a nearby referral centre immediately.

Meanwhile, Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration has expressed concern over the increase in cases in the province, as 126 new positive cases were recorded yesterday, bringing Preah Sihanouk’s total to 1,316, with nine deaths and 1,266 patients still receiving treatment.

Kheang Phearum, Preah Sihanouk province spokesman, told Khmer Times yesterday that in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Sihanoukville, the administration has identified Red, Orange and Yellow Zones.

“We have defined the mechanism for dividing high-risk areas into closed Red Zones, and people in these areas have to have their samples taken for testing and are not allowed to go outside,” Phearum said.

The administration also called on vendors and residents who have had direct contact with COVID-19 patients to report to local authorities immediately for testing at the Prampi Makara centre and quarantine for 14 days according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health. Tests are available every working hour, including on holidays, it said.

In connection with the developing COVID-19 situation, the provincial administration also decided to temporarily lock down all vendors at the Phsar Loeu Market, requiring them and those who had been in contact with them to quarantine.

In other news, during the first eight days of the vaccination campaign for people in Red Zones, the Ministry of Defence team has vaccinated more than 350,000 people.

According to the report, as of yesterday, the ministry has injected a total of 351,537 people in eight days, consisting of 73,984 people in Meanchey district, 85,333 people in Dangkor district, 61,903 people in Kambol district, 124,915 in Por Senchey district and 5,402 people in Russey Keo district.

General Ith Sarath, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and chairman of the vaccination team in the Red Zones, who has regularly inspected the vaccination process, noted that it has improved and the campaign is going as fast as planned.

Gen Sarath praised the hard work of the vaccination team and thanked them for their efforts in achieving the government’s plan for the benefit of the people.

“The spirit of our army is so hard working. They accomplished the work that was ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen and the instructions of General Tea Banh. Our army tried with all its heart, even though it was difficult and they went inside areas that are infected, but they did not fear,” he said.

“I call on the vaccination team and local authorities to work together to make this vaccination work faster and better,” he added, urging people to get vaccinated and to strictly follow the health rules to prevent COVID-19.

Gen Sarath said that people who want to be vaccinated are required to fill out an information form first and provide identification documents such as their ID card, passport or birth certificate when they go to a vaccination centre.

Mr Hun Sen has recently praised the Ministry of Defence vaccination team for inoculating people in Red Zones at a rapid pace.

He stressed that vaccinations will continue to be given to people in Red Zones until everyone has been inoculated.

Mr Hun Sen also asked vaccinated people to comply with health regulations and not create a risk of infection.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health reported 520 new infections of COVID-19 yesterday, of which five are imported cases and the rest are linked to the February 20 Community Event, bringing the total in the Kingdom to 19,237.

At the same time, Cambodia recorded 301 newly recovered cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries reached now 7,641.

The ministry also reported six more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number to 120.

• Tags: COVID-19 in Cambodia, Public hospitals