Hundreed of medical personnel and a dozen ambulances will be on hand to respond to any cases of fainting or illness at the scheduled February 4 cremation of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday.

Dr Sok Sokun, director of Phnom Penh’s health department, said that by providing officials, medical doctors and medical staff, they can check up on people during the cremation ceremony, which is expected to draw about one million mourning Cambodians.

“The medical doctors and staff will standby for 24 hours on the site and we will have mobile teams at the ceremony as well,” he said.

He said that the deployment of a medical team was necessary after what happened during the funeral procession on October 17 – and the following week of mourning – in which an estimated 233 people fainted from the heat.

At the moment, there are two ambulances and doctors standing by in front of the Royal Palace, he added, in the event that visitors who come to pay tribute to Sihanouk, who died on October 15 in Beijing, fall ill.

Long Dimanche, spokesman for Phnom Penh, said that city hall will call a meeting next week where more details about the upcoming event will be outlined.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khoun Leakhana at [email protected]