Group Seminar: Focus on Economy or Health?

Class: IS209 Created Time: June 22, 2020 12:07 PM Database: Assignment Database Last Edited Time: July 10, 2021 11:24 PM Status: Done

Group 4 Members:

Cambodia should focus more on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Containing the spread of the pandemic will allow Cambodia to reopen the economy faster than risking to deal with a second wave.
- If restrictions are lowered and economy open there is a high chance that a second wave will set Cambodia back further than if it locked down.
- As most of Cambodia’s coronavirus cases are imported from abroad, opening the borders would risk importing more contagious people.
Inadequate medical capacity leads to loss of human capital and endanger vulnerable citizens.
- Medical Capacity: Cambodia’s heath care system is not equipped or ready to handle the patients if the pandemic is widespread.
  - Human Capital: Death of educated and productive work force.
  - Inequality: Poorer population don’t have ability to test or get treatment.
  According to WHO country representative Li Ailan, the risk of a second wave remains and much more preparation is needed. “They’re still in the early stage,” she said. “If there was a large scale outbreak, the system could be overwhelmed.”
  
  2nd Sub-Conclusion
Development of Cambodia’s medical sector will further prepare Cambodia for a future health crisis.
- Improving the testing capacity of coronavirus and others will allow Cambodia to monitor, contain, and treat outbreaks early on in future health crisis.
- Developing the medical sector will allow for Cambodia’s medical industry to be more trust worthy, effective and cheaper; not need to rely on treatments abroad.

The testing capacity is low, how do you trust the government’s report?

According to Nikkei Asian Review, The country’s public health response has been praised by the WHO and the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both groups, which are working closely with Cambodian health authorities, say they are confident there is currently no widespread transmission of the virus.
- the CDC had worked closely with the [Cambodia’s] Ministry of Health’s rapid response teams to follow up confirmed cases, monitoring more than 2,000 contacts and finding 27 infections via contact tracing.
How about the people who rely on the economy to be open to get income and survive?

There is always victims and casualties in crises, but to end a pandemic Cambodia needs to contain and eliminate all cases. If the economy opens now it risks a big second wave that will push the country to lock down once again anyways, heavier than before, to end the crisis.
Isn’t the restrictions of quarantine/social-distancing and businesses suspension a violation of human rights and usurp of power by the government?