Government Preparing for Garment Workers’ Vaccination

Government Preparing for Garment Workers’ Vaccination

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT) has called for preparation for vaccination of garment workers, as the government prioritised them in the list of people to be vaccinated against the COVID-19.

In a letter by Minister Ith Samheng, the MoLVT asked the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) to work with garment factories to make a list of medical staff (one doctor from each factory) to get trained for COVID-19 vaccination work.

“To protect the health of garment workers and employees as well as for the benefit of factories from the COVID-19 infection, the Royal Government will conduct a COVID-19 vaccination campaign for free of charge to garment workers and employees in the near future,” read the letter.

Additionally, the ministry asked the factory owners to inform garment workers and employees over the campaign and the vaccination is made based on a voluntary basis.

The list of medical staff should be submitted to the ministry before Mar. 26, stated the letter.

According to GMAC, the training will take place this Friday.

Cambodia has been conducting a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign after receiving 600,000 doses of China-made Sinopharm and 324,000 doses of India-made AstraZeneca via COVAX mechanism.

More vaccines are going to arrive later this month and before the Khmer New Year in April.

According to the ministry’s letter, the COVID-19 vaccination will be made at the factories as the ministry asked the owners to prepare a venue for the vaccination work.

It also asked factories to allow a paid day-off for workers and employees after getting their doses.

Currently, GMAC has about 600 factories as members.