Phnom Penh municipal governor Khuong Sreng said there are nearly 600 Covid-19 patients with mild cases of the illness who are receiving treatment at home in the capital.

He said his officials are doing their utmost to make home-based treatment a highly effective and medically safe experience.

Sreng told The Post on July 4 that among the nearly 600 patients were some who had already received vaccinations when they became infected.

All of the patients are reported to be in good condition and the officials are preparing to allow other patients who contracted the virus after vaccination to treat themselves at home, with support available from medical doctors if required.

“Those who are getting treatment at home are those who were already vaccinated and are in good health. In cases where the person’s health isn’t good to begin with we will take them to the emergency unit and follow the Ministry of Health’s standard operating procedures (SOP),” he said.

The municipal administration will hold a press conference this week to inform the public about home treatment for mild cases of Covid-19.

“We will inform the public of the rules they have to follow when they get treatment at home and what penalties they will face if they violate the law. And we will raise awareness so that everyone can cooperate with the authorities to achieve success,” he said.

Sreng instructed all governors of the capital’s 14 districts to work with health department officials and the volunteer group Samdech Techo Voluntary Youth Doctor Association (TYDA) to educate people on the necessity of treating mild cases of the virus at home.

“We told each district to create a station to help people who need immediate help and reminded them that they have to be responsible for their territory,” he said.

On July 1, Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the rapid development of improved protocols for home-based treatment in order to reduce the crowds of patients at hospitals and treatment facilities.

“The more home-based treatment there is, the better off we are. In our country, patients are always taken from home to hospital.

“But in developed countries – for example our three diplomats [infected] in European countries – they were not sent to hospital but were instead treated at home.

“So, if we can do home-based treatment, it will reduce the challenges for our medical personnel and for the patients’ themselves. Just take those in serious condition to hospital,” he said, telling officials in charge to begin this policy effective immediately.

“Do this work, get training on this and put it into practice and then report to me every evening on how many cases of home-based treatment are in Phnom Penh, Kandal and other provinces,” he instructed.

On June 20, the health ministry announced the procedures for home-based treatment for mild cases as the number of transmission has shown no sign of dropping.

As of July 4, Cambodia had recorded a total of 54,291 Covid-19 cases with 46,740 recoveries and 720 fatalities.

On July 4 alone, the health ministry reported another 993 Covid-19 cases – 214 of which were imported – with 24 more deaths and 617 recoveries.