Ministry uses wood seized to produce coffin for Covid-19 patient body

Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra (left) inspects the production of coffins by officials of Kampot Provincial Department of Environment. Neth Pheaktra Facebook

The Ministry of Environment used wood seized from natural resource crimes to produce coffins for the bodies of Covid-19 patients, as the daily Covid-19 death toll is between 20 and 30.

The Ministry of Health has recorded 60,959 Covid-19 cases, with 52,475 recoveries and 902 deaths, as of July 11.

Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra said in his Facebook post on July 10 that it is not a scaring, not an insulting, and not a dream, but it is a reality, following the instruction of Prime Minister Hun Sen. 

“Even though our country is poor, we must not let our Cambodian people die [of Covid-19] mercilessly,” he echoed Mr. Hun Sen.

“881 Covid-19 patients have died as of July 10, since the Covid-19 February 20 community incident outbreak,” Pheaktra said. “The daily death toll is now between 20 and 30.”

Pheaktra on July 8 inspected the production of coffins by officials of Kampot Provincial Department of Environment.

Speaking at a special meeting via video conference on July 1, Mr. Hun Sen ordered National Military Police Commander Sao Sokha to use confiscated timbers to produce coffins.

He also ordered the Ministry of Economy and Finance to release budget to buy coffins to be stored in hospitals in Phnom Penh and in the provinces.