The exhibition of medical equipment provided by the Czech Republic on June 14. FN
York Sambath, standing secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, recalled concerted efforts and support from “friendly” countries including the Czech Republic that eventually enabled Cambodia to contain the Covid-19 pandemic and reopen the country.
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Sambath made the remarks at a June 14 exhibition of medical equipment provided by the Czech Republic, thanks to cooperation between the National Pediatric Hospital, the Vita et Futura Foundation and the Czech Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Medical Devices.
“Cambodia has been called a ‘Small country with a big heart’ for its successful management and response to the Covid-19 epidemic, a proud achievement for our society as a whole,” she told the assembled guests, among them Czech Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jici Kozak.
“Our experience enabled us to win the Covid-19 battle, but the government is still monitoring the situation closely, because the war is not yet over,” she said.
Sambath also highlighted the long-standing traditional friendship and solidarity between the Kingdom and the Czech Republic, especially during the 1980s. The two countries share a bilateral cooperation framework, in addition to the exchange of health officials and the provision of medical equipment.
According to a ministry press release, Kozak expressed his appreciation for the rapid and steady development of Cambodia, in all sectors.
“Cambodia is developing rapidly in all areas, including health, most notably through its control of the spread of Covid-19. The Czech Republic is committed to further strengthening and expanding cooperation in the field of health between the two countries,” he said.
The press release explained that the establishment of the National Commission for Combating Covid-19, which includes four commissions, was key to the victory.
The four commissions include 11 sub-committees, the ad-hoc national commission on the Covid-19 vaccination programme, the national Covid-19 Vaccination Commission and the 25 Covid-19 committees across the country.
The ministry detailed how the government has set out six strategies to prevent the further spread of Covid-19, including continuing to prevent the import of new variants of the virus, reducing the scale of transmissions, maximising treatment efforts, the management of corpses, and its successful vaccination campaign, which employed a “flower blossom” approach.
“It was thanks to these strategies that the Kingdom was able to reopen all socio-economic activities in November 2021,” it added.
On June 13, Hun Sen appealed to all citizens to remain vigilant and make sure their vaccinations are up to date.
“Covid-19 has not yet left us. It has already begun to recur in some nations around the world. Vaccinations are our best defence against the virus, so we must take our booster shots as soon as they are due,” he said.
