Officials from an inter-ministerial committee found yesterday that a garment factory in Sihanoukville where workers reportedly fainted and suffered from headaches and dizziness on Monday was poorly ventilated and unclean, as the number of workers who received medical treatment was increased to 201.

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A worker recovers at a hospital in Sihanoukville after a mass fainting episode at the Nanguo Garment factory on Monday.

Pok Vanthat, deputy director of the labour health department at the Labour Ministry who also heads a committee which aims to prevent fainting incidents in factories, said that he recommended the Nanguo Garment Co Ltd factory in Preah Sihanouk Special Economic Zone close until today in order to improve its environment.

“We asked the factory to open doors all day for ventilation, and all doors are open,” he said.

Pok Vanthat said that the committee found 201 workers had fainted or suffered from headaches and dizziness on Monday because of too many overtime hours and poor ventilation.

However, he added that ambulances had been sent to transport some workers to clinics after they had already gone home.

“Treatment is under state payment … but I would like all clinics be moral: don’t try to transport them [to the clinic],” Pok Vanthat said, adding that three workers were still receiving treatment.

Local officials reported on Monday that 162 workers were sent to hospitals and clinics, while others sought their own treatment.

Yov Khemara, director of the provincial labour health department, said that most of the workers did not faint, but had suffered from headaches and dizziness.

“Some [workers] had no problem, but when hearing [about the fainting] … they got on ambulances,” he said.

Yok Khemara told the Post on Monday that only 30 of the workers had fainted.

Worker Chhat Sroh, 21, said she was not ill, but her colleagues had fallen unconscious so she asked for treatment in order to avoid fainting.

A worker’s father, 52-year-old Feut Meut, said his daughter had not yet recovered.

“Doctors said that she had no problem because she lacked glucose, but she still has [shaking] … paleness and she was receiving oxygen and cannot speak,” he said.

Representatives from Nanguo Garment Co Ltd could not be reached.