Bangkok: The Ministry of Public Health has been directed to mobilize its resources to aid flood victims in the southern provinces, with Minister Somsak Thepsuthin confirming that 87 Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams (MCATT) have been dispatched to provide mental health care in the affected areas. Additionally, a provincial emergency medical operations center has been established, and patients from four temporarily closed hospitals have been safely evacuated with no vulnerable groups left behind.
According to Thai News Agency, Minister Somsak revealed that the flood situation has significantly impacted several provinces in Health Region 12, covering seven provinces and 328 districts. Four provinces-Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat-are experiencing severe conditions. In response, the Ministry of Public Health has established both provincial and district-level Medical and Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) to manage the crisis effectively.
The Minister further detailed
that 129 public health service facilities have been affected, with 85 sustaining damage. Among these, eight hospitals and seventy-seven sub-district health promoting hospitals have been impacted. Four hospitals-Yaring, Thung Yang Daeng, Nong Chik, and Mae Lan-have ceased operations, with inpatients relocated to Pattani Hospital, which has set up a temporary ward to accommodate them. Field hospitals have also been established to provide ongoing care, except for Nong Chik Hospital, which is temporarily transferring patients to Pattani Hospital due to its proximity.
The report highlights the care being provided to 2,297 vulnerable individuals in the flood-affected areas, with no reports of stranded individuals. Minister Somsak emphasized the importance of adhering to public health measures and expressed concern over psychological stress. Hence, 87 MCATT teams have been deployed to assist with emotional support, monitor vulnerable groups, and ensure high-risk psychiatric patients continue their medication regime
ns. Additionally, medical personnel have been instructed to stockpile essential supplies to mitigate the crisis’s impact.
A disease surveillance system has been implemented in temporary shelters, monitoring six main disease groups: gastrointestinal, respiratory, mosquito-borne diseases, infected wounds, electric shocks, and occupational diseases. Currently, there are no signs of widespread influenza, leptospirosis, dengue fever, food poisoning, or melioidosis. Minister Somsak commended the efforts of medical personnel and volunteers for their hard work during the floods and encouraged ongoing health education and disease monitoring efforts.