Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

2021-04-10T102722Z_1_LYNXMPEH39065_RTROPTP_4_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-THAILAND.jpeg

Health workers sit inside a field hospital recently set up to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as the country deals with a fresh wave of infections after tackling earlier outbreaks, in Bangkok, Thailand, April 10, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand plans to install 10,000 field-hospital beds in Bangkok, a health official said on Saturday, as the country strains to cope with a third wave of COVID-19 infections.

 

At least a dozen hospitals in the capital said they had stopped testing for the coronavirus as of Friday due to a lack of kits or capacity. Hospitals are reluctant to test because they must admit people if they test positive, authorities say.

 

"We aim to increase (field) hospital beds to 10,000 in no time, which should give the public confidence that we can still contain this round of outbreak," Suksan Kittisupakorn, director-general of Thailand's Medical Service Department, told reporters.

The current surge appeared to be the country's worst yet, he said.

 

Thailand reported 789 new cases and one death on Saturday, taking the total number of infections to 31,658, with 97 deaths.

So far this month, Thailand has reported 2,697 new domestic infections, including 1,058 cases in Bangkok, the epicentre of an outbreak that has seen cases climb from a few dozen to several hundred a day.

 

 

The outbreak, which includes the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant first identified in Britain, has rapidly spread to 62 of Thailand's 77 provinces, Opas Karnkawinpong of the Department of Disease Control told a briefing.

 

Thailand's third wave comes ahead of major national holidays next week and as the country seeks to reopen to foreign tourists.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha asked people to limit the spread. "I'm very worried. If anyone does not need to travel, please stay home," he said in a podcast on Saturday.

 

Thailand is aiming to start mass immunisation from June. It has vaccinated more than 530,000 health workers and people deemed vulnerable.

 

Thailand, which received 1 million doses of vaccine from China's Sinovac vaccine on Saturday, is to get another 500,000 doses this month, said deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Traisoranakul.

 

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring and Juarawee Kittisilpa; Additional reporting by Satawasin; Staporncharnchai and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by William Mallard)

 

 

reuters_logo.jpg

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-04-11
 
Posted
9 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Looks like he's regretting his decision to promote travel just a few days ago..........too late mate, the damage is done and its on your shoulders now.

 

I'm sure 10,000 infected people will be falling over themselves with happiness and confidence at the prospect of spending 2 weeks cooped up in converted wharehouses and halls, no air con, no division between beds basically like a prison. 

With Covid free to roam wherever it wants too inside the " Wards "

  • Like 2
Posted
2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Be fair, we in the UK built or converted two ruddy great Nightingale hospitals at a cost of £220 million to the taxpayer for the surge that we never appeared to use. Least Thailand's cost is just soldier labour moving beds.

The Brazil variants haven't overrun the UK yet. Good to have Nightingales just in case.

  • Like 2
  • Confused 1
Posted
26 minutes ago, placnx said:

The Brazil variants haven't overrun the UK yet. Good to have Nightingales just in case.

Didn't say it would not be good to have them as back up, just they have never been used - though I think they stole all the equipment for other hospitals.

 

As for the future, I severely doubt they will ever be used now that we have vaccines. Brazil variant may raise it's ugly head by hopefully by then we will be able to control hospital admissions and tweek vaccines if needs be.

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1
Posted

This field hospital idea is reminiscent of the 'Nightingale' hospitals that were set up in the UK - large temporary covid hospitals that stood more or less empty. There weren't enough staff to man them, nor were there enough patients to fill them - existing hospitals provided sufficient critical care, crowded through they were, as in a severe winter flu season. The Nightingale hospital in Birmingham, for example, was stood down without admitting any patients. 

Posted
7 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

It's much more complicated than you portay it.

This is a news group, not a dissertation. Fact is, the Nightingale hospitals weren't needed, and were closed down or repurposed.

  • Sad 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Agreed. But there's a Complex story behind that. They tried to do the right thing. But didn't work out. And in the end, totally botched the initial response to covid.

Nonsense. The Nightingale hospitals weren't necessary. They were another example of gross government overreaction and panic that has been the hallmark of this covid pandemic.

Edited by dbrenn
  • Confused 2
  • Sad 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted
11 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha asked people to limit the spread. "I'm very worried. If anyone does not need to travel, please stay home,"

....and people needed to travel for Songkran?

  • Confused 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted
Just now, Jeffr2 said:

Yeah. Hardly anyone died in the UK from Covid. Definitely not needed.  LOL

Stay on topic, which is field hospitals, and their usefulness. 

  • Thanks 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Yeah. Hardly anyone died in the UK from Covid. Definitely not needed.  LOL

And rather than mocking please make an intelligent contribution or rebuttal to the point I made, if you are capable of doing so.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...