ID :
148987
Sat, 11/06/2010 - 20:32
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http://m.oananews.org//node/148987
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Countrywide floods claim 145 lives; 400,000 seek medical assistance
BANGKOK, Nov 6 -- Thailand's countrywide floods that began Oct 10 have claimed 145 lives, and over 400,000 people are seeking medical assistance at Ministry of Public Health mobile medical units with athlete's foot topping the list of maladies, according to Minister of Public Health Jurin Laksanawisit.
Mr Jurin and Permanent Secretary for Public Health Paichit Warachit on Saturday visited flood victims at Takua Thung district of Phang Nga and distributed 500 medical kits and relief packages to them.
The minister said during Oct 20-Novr 5, the mobile medical units gave medical assistance to 411,083 patients while the death toll according to the ministry record has risen by 22 persons to a total of 145.
Twenty persons have died in the southern provinces, excluding Pattani.
However, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department announced earlier that 150 people had died nationwide since the flood began Oct 10.
Nearly three-quarters of a 746,000 homes in 30 provinces were affected by the floods, it said.
Mr Jurin said the ministry has taken 45,000 medical kits for distribution in the flood-hit provinces and that an additional 50,000 sets were to have been distributed on Saturday.
He said the 1.1 million sets of medicine for athlete's foot have been given.
Meanwhile, the public health ministry has assessed the damage at Hat Yai Hospital in Songkhla, which was under floodwater some two metres deep.
The ministry's inspector general for the area Dr Watchara Pengchan said the damage at Hat Yai Hospital is at least Bt20 million as floodwaters damaged hospital's electrical system.
He said the hospital can resume full service on Monday after the restoration of the electrical system is complete.
Dr Watchara said the floor which houses the electric generators will also be rebuilt on higher ground as a precaution against future flooding, while additional funds will be sought for the provision of new electrical system as it is a critical element for hospital services. (MCOT online news)
Mr Jurin and Permanent Secretary for Public Health Paichit Warachit on Saturday visited flood victims at Takua Thung district of Phang Nga and distributed 500 medical kits and relief packages to them.
The minister said during Oct 20-Novr 5, the mobile medical units gave medical assistance to 411,083 patients while the death toll according to the ministry record has risen by 22 persons to a total of 145.
Twenty persons have died in the southern provinces, excluding Pattani.
However, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department announced earlier that 150 people had died nationwide since the flood began Oct 10.
Nearly three-quarters of a 746,000 homes in 30 provinces were affected by the floods, it said.
Mr Jurin said the ministry has taken 45,000 medical kits for distribution in the flood-hit provinces and that an additional 50,000 sets were to have been distributed on Saturday.
He said the 1.1 million sets of medicine for athlete's foot have been given.
Meanwhile, the public health ministry has assessed the damage at Hat Yai Hospital in Songkhla, which was under floodwater some two metres deep.
The ministry's inspector general for the area Dr Watchara Pengchan said the damage at Hat Yai Hospital is at least Bt20 million as floodwaters damaged hospital's electrical system.
He said the hospital can resume full service on Monday after the restoration of the electrical system is complete.
Dr Watchara said the floor which houses the electric generators will also be rebuilt on higher ground as a precaution against future flooding, while additional funds will be sought for the provision of new electrical system as it is a critical element for hospital services. (MCOT online news)
