Foreigners in Cambodia can get vaccinated
PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian government has announced that all foreigners, working and living in the country, can receive Covid19 vaccination shots.
According to a notice signed by Health Minister Mam Bun Heng, vaccination for foreigners in Cambodia has run smoothly because it has set up a mechanism for voluntary vaccinations for foreigners.
According to the Khmer Times, authorities said all foreigners living or working in Cambodia, who are not under the umbrella of the United Nations, international organisations, bilateral organisations, international financial institutions, embassies or local legal organisations, were eligible for vaccinations free of charge.
The notice said the Labour Ministry was responsible for compiling names of foreigners holding regular (E) visas and having work permits issued by the ministry.
It said they were investors, businesspeople, skilled workers, artists, doctors, teachers, athletes, consultants and foreign experts.
In order to receive the vaccine, they need valid passports, valid visas and work permits.
However, it said foreigners with category (A) visas who have applied for vaccination will receive prior information, which may coincide with officials, staff, and workers at ministries, institutions, factories, companies or locations designated by the health ministry.
It also instructed local authorities in Phnom Penh and provinces to compile a list of other foreigners not in category (A), including Cambodian citizens holding foreign passports (holding special visas K), foreigners who are married to Cambodian citizens, foreigners who are retired, and foreigners who stay legally for a long time.
Foreigners in category (B) will be vaccinated at the same time as Cambodians and it will be determined by the ministry.
Meanwhile, the ministry has released the standard operating procedure (SOP) for home management, care and treatment of Covid-19 patients.
According to the Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP), Mam said the SOP was an important initiative to prevent and control the pandemic.
He said the SOP was based on the practical experience of managing Covid-19 patients in Cambodia and that of many countries, where home hospitalisation had been adopted.
The ministry said 80 per cent of Covid-19 patients in Cambodia were asymptomatic or mild, so the patients with no risk factors can be treated at home under regular supervision by health staff and volunteers who are properly trained for the task.
The Covid-19 cases that are considered to be mild are those who have a cold, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, fever less than 38º C, oxygen concentration (SpO2) above 95 per cent, normal breathing rate and who are not in a vulnerable group — pregnant women, children and the elderly.
It said that in Cambodia, five per cent of Covid-19 patients are in intensive care units, 15 per cent need emergency care and 80 per cent are just under observation with regular health check-ups.
According to the SOP, home hospitalisation will be carried out when 70 to 80 per cent of hospital beds are in use.