Senior doctor assures public that doctors and nurses have everything under control despite 146 infections

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

A senior doctor and representative of the Thai ministry of public health has assured the public that the health systems can cope well despite many doctors and nurses coming down with Covid-19.

 

Thai Rath reported that the total cases in Thailand now stood at 43,742 with 104 deaths.

 

Of these 146 medical personnel were infected that begged the question: Are there enough to cope?

 

Dr Somsaik Akkhasin assured them there were more than enough.

 

He said that most of the doctors and nurses infected had caught the virus in the course of their normal lives outside hospitals at places like markets and in parties. 

 

He admitted that some infections had occurred within hospitals but that crisis management plans were in place to mitigate this. 

 

For example shifts were split into teams A or B and if one had to be stood down due to infection then the other could take over. 

 

Medical staff were kept apart when eating too. They needed to be one meter from each other and no talking was allowed when they were having their meals. 

 

He said that the number of doctors was 400,000 in the state sector with 700,000 including the private sector so there were more than enough.

 

If there were outbreaks in hospitals they were minor and handled by the crisis management plans. 

 

Non-vital surgery was being delayed that freed up ICU beds, medicines were being delivered by post and doctors were available on video call, he said, all of which helped with restricting contact. 

 

More field hospitals and beds were being created.

 

In field hospitals where patients with no symptoms were being monitored there was only a necessity to have one nurse per 20-40 people.

 

In such situations the drain on doctors was limited to 1 doctor per 100-200 infections, said Dr Somsak. 

 

The message of the Thai Rath article was that Thailand was coping well from a medical standpoint despite the explosion of cases in the country over the last month. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-04-20

 

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[poskat]

my dad used to tell me that when I said everything was under control was when he got the most worried about me

[ThailandRyan]

Ok, sounds like they have brought in the second team of reserves if it is all under control, Whew disaster averted.

[Surelynot]

How on earth does he know where they contracted the virus?

[Surelynot]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

and representative of the Thai ministry of public health

That rather spoils the validity of everything he is quoted as saying.

[ParkerN]

Don't worry, Mr Mainwaring. Everything's under control.

 

It's just that it's not very under control.

[ParkerN]

Just now, Surelynot said:

How on earth does he know where they contracted the virus?

 

He doesn't. It's an uneducated guess...

[ThailandRyan]

1443 Cases today with 4 deaths being reported now in the daily briefing

[dinsdale]

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

1443 Cases today with 4 deaths being reported now in the daily briefing

With so many on ventilators or serious the deaths will rise. 

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

With so many on ventilators or serious the deaths will rise. 

Sad really, as most could have been prevented had this Government re-acted instead of being obstinate and allowing the mass travel.

[Phuket Stan]

Sounds very familiar to what Dotard Donny Trump and Bedraggled Boris Johnson were spouting 12 months ago

[ParkerN]

Just now, ThailandRyan said:

1443 Cases today with 4 deaths being reported now in the daily briefing

 

Listen closely, the horsemen are mounting.

[Surelynot]

58 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

Don't worry, Mr Mainwaring. Everything's under control.

 

It's just that it's not very under control.

Don't tell them your name Parker

[harada]

I seem to have heard that everything is 100% under control thing before. ????

 

[Ombra]

700,000 doctors in Thailand? Did I read that correctly? According to the World Bank, there are only about 56,000.

[Cake Monster]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that most of the doctors and nurses infected had caught the virus in the course of their normal lives outside hospitals at places like markets and in parties. 

Thats just plain poor discipline

Amazing Thailand

[mtls2005]

19 minutes ago, Ombra said:

700,000 doctors in Thailand? Did I read that correctly? According to the World Bank, there are only about 56,000.

 

Maybe they're counting all those dodgy PhD's?

 

And Dentists?

 

And Vets?

 

 

[AndyFoxy]

13 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Maybe they're counting all those dodgy PhD's?

 

And Dentists?

 

And Vets?

 

 

Don’t forget the witch doctors.

[internationalism]

Most of state doctors also work at private hospitals. 

It's not possible such a large number, as total in health service is some 1.5mln (that's what was quoted in the vax emergency plan in january).

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that most of the doctors and nurses infected had caught the virus in the course of their normal lives outside hospitals at places like markets and in parties. 

Just as worrying.

[brewsterbudgen]

The numbers remain low, especially fatalities.  If the doctors are proved right, let's hope things start opening up again soon, especially schools. ????

[steevjee]

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

With so many on ventilators or serious the deaths will rise. 

It wasn't Covid it was Influenza, so no need to report those 300 odd deaths....nothing happening here...move on!

[sammieuk1]

Wonder what the crisis management plans look like close up other than queueing up for cremation that is coming soon after Songkran ????

[Excel]

Just now, sammieuk1 said:

Wonder what the crisis management plans look like close up other than queueing up for cremation that is coming soon after Songkran ????

No worries, just be an extension of the burning season

[bermondburi]

700,000.... That's a lot of doctors. I feel safe now.

[bangon04]

12 hours ago, Ombra said:

700,000 doctors in Thailand? Did I read that correctly? According to the World Bank, there are only about 56,000.

almost as many as they have Generals.....

[internationalism]

yesterday two of my neighbours got their hospital appointments cancelled - one for a small baby trimester check up (not that important), but the other for a recently diagnosed serious hart condition.

they were told not to visit, unless in emergency.

Looks like they are very busy 

[brewsterbudgen]

8 minutes ago, internationalism said:

yesterday two of my neighbours got their hospital appointments cancelled - one for a small baby trimester check up (not that important), but the other for a recently diagnosed serious hart condition.

they were told not to visit, unless in emergency.

Looks like they are very busy 

It's ridiculous.  Hospital beds full with people who have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, so people with serious health conditions are not treated. 

[ParkerN]

Once again on TVF, the article headline is not what the article actually says. I really didn't think it would be that hard...

[ezzra]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Dr Somsaik Akkhasin assured them there were more than enough.

Or, as he better known as Dr. Mai Me Panhaa...