ID :
58433
Thu, 04/30/2009 - 18:25
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http://m.oananews.org//node/58433
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Thailand steps up swine flu prevention measures
BANGKOK, April 30 (TNA) - Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has stepped up measures to prevent swine flu entering or spreading in Thailand, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised its warning level to Phase 5 on a scale of one to six, while asking tourism operators to help screen tourists who may be victims of the deadly virus, according to Minister of Public Health Witthaya Kaewparadai.
Raising WHO's warning to a higher level means the threat of a pandemic is imminent and that time is "short" for national governments to put emergency plans into action.
Mr. Witthaya said the ministry had upgraded its operational centre to respond to the emergency medical and public health to ministerial level directed by the Permanent Secretary for Public Health.
The emergency plan set up for the bird flu prevention measures would be adjusted to prevent swine flu virus, he said.
More strict measures to detect body temperature of visitors arriving at Thailand’s airports would be applied at Suvaranbhumi, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani and Hat Yai in Songkhla, the minister said.
Mr. Witthaya on Thursday met tourism operators to ask for their cooperation in screening tourists who visit the kingdom.
He said that tour companies were asked to report details of tourists who visited the flu affected countries before entering Thailand during the past 14 days.
The tour companies must fill in the form about the health condition of the tourists and submit to the ministry daily, he said, adding that its staff should help monitor whether the tourists have suspected symptom and promptly reported to the ministry.
The minister said he also ordered the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) to produce one million pills of the antiviral drug Oseltamivir to stockpile for emergency use. (TNA)
Raising WHO's warning to a higher level means the threat of a pandemic is imminent and that time is "short" for national governments to put emergency plans into action.
Mr. Witthaya said the ministry had upgraded its operational centre to respond to the emergency medical and public health to ministerial level directed by the Permanent Secretary for Public Health.
The emergency plan set up for the bird flu prevention measures would be adjusted to prevent swine flu virus, he said.
More strict measures to detect body temperature of visitors arriving at Thailand’s airports would be applied at Suvaranbhumi, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani and Hat Yai in Songkhla, the minister said.
Mr. Witthaya on Thursday met tourism operators to ask for their cooperation in screening tourists who visit the kingdom.
He said that tour companies were asked to report details of tourists who visited the flu affected countries before entering Thailand during the past 14 days.
The tour companies must fill in the form about the health condition of the tourists and submit to the ministry daily, he said, adding that its staff should help monitor whether the tourists have suspected symptom and promptly reported to the ministry.
The minister said he also ordered the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) to produce one million pills of the antiviral drug Oseltamivir to stockpile for emergency use. (TNA)
