COVID-19 is spreading through Cambodia’s prisons and warrants urgent measures to prevent an uncontrollable outbreak, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Prisons (GDP).

GDP spokesman Nuth Savna told The Post on May 27 that officials were identifying prisons to inspect and implement preventive measures but were facing a shortage of medical supplies.

“GDP needs Covid-19 test kits. We also need traditional Chinese medicines and other medicines to treat inmates,” he said. “We are trying to ask the government and partner organisations for assistance,” he said.

He added that traditional Chinese medicines were effective in treating prisoners in Preah Sihanouk province, with more than 70 per cent of detainees there having recovered.

Savna declined to reveal updated data of infected prisoners, saying the matter was in the hands of the Ministry of Health and the provincial administration.

Covid-19 has spread through Correctional Centre I, better known as Prey Sar, in Phnom Penh and provincial prisons of Kandal, Preah Sihanouk and Banteay Meanchey. Nearly 200 inmates have contracted the virus while those who had come into contact with them have been tested and quarantined.

“In new guidelines, we quarantine new prisoners from 14 to 20 days and people linked to Covid-19 are put in isolation. Previously, we just took samples from new prisoners. But in the guidelines, we have to take samples from new prisoners three times,” Savna said, adding that officials have been dispatched to different prisons across the country in a bid to contain the pandemic.

He stressed that cooperation was essential among municipal and provincial administrations, GDP and provincial prisons to enforce measures to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. GDP currently has the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and UN agencies in Cambodia providing assistance.

The ICRC confirmed on May 26 that its officials have been busy over the past weeks assisting GDP in its ongoing Covid-19 response.

“We have provided hygiene items to Preah Sihanouk prison and to GDP in Phnom Penh. We are also providing technical guidance, personal protective equipment and other support to the authorities as they cope with the latest outbreak.

“The wellbeing of detainees, prison staff and their families is at the heart of the ICRC’s work in Cambodia and around the world. We will continue to do our best to share our experience and provide support to the prisons and health personnel where necessary,” the ICRC said.

UN Resident Coordinator in Cambodia Pauline Tamesis told The Post on May 19 that the UN and humanitarian partners have been coordinating to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to GDP to prevent the spread of Covid-19 after infections liked to the February 20 community outbreak struck prisons.

Am Sam Ath, deputy director of rights group Licadho, expressed concerns over the outbreak. Some of Cambodia’s prisons, he said, are generally overcrowded, which increase the risks of transmission.

He urged the courts to prioritise cases to avoid non-essential pre-trial detention and to grant bail to those who have been charged for minor offences, especially pregnant women, women who have children living with them in jail and juvenile offenders.

“The courts should also expedite proceedings, suspend [prison] sentences to some extent, allow them to carry out community sentences or let them serve just half of their sentence,” he suggested.

Inmates who have nearly completed their sentence and those who have chronicle disease should also be released in order to reduce overcrowding and minimize transmission risks, he said.

Sam Ath noted Licadho had also worked with GDP to provide some medical services to detainees.