Senior doctor explains why calls to 1668 hotlines are often remain unanswered

[webfact]

 

The Thai Medical Services Department has appealed for public understanding over complaints, including the one from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, claiming that calls to the 1668 hotlines are, on many occasions, are left unanswered.

 

Medical Services Department Director-General Dr. Somsak Akkasilp explained today that the 1668 hotline service, which has 20 lines, is normally manned by the department’s doctors and nurses, all of whom are volunteers doing the extra job during their working hours.

 

He said the volunteer medics will normally answer questions raised by those who test positive for COVID-19 or their relatives, who are looking for hospital beds, and follow up their condition until beds can be secured for them, adding that each call can take 20-30 minutes.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/senior-doctor-explains-why-calls-to-1668-hotlines-are-often-remain-unanswered/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-04-23

 

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[Flying Saucage]

"Another problem from private labs, he said, is that some of them are not up to the standard and their positive test results are false, causing concern among those who were falsely tested positive. Some of these people were put together with those who are actually infected."

 

Wow!

 

Who had thought that it was that easy for healthy people to win a free 14-day stay in one of these brand new comfortable field hospitals, including being exposed to the virus there?

[MikeyIdea]

Same as in Sweden except that the advice here is better. 
1177 Vårdguiden, enormous waiting times and finally, don't wear mask, that's for healt care workers and - I have had contact with a person infected with covid-19, what about contact tracing? No, we don't do that in Sweden, there's no process for it.   

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

all of whom are volunteers doing the extra job during their working hours.

Isn't that just called working your normal hours ? 

[gunderhill]

you know those  6  million without   jobs you told  us  about a few  days  ago, well theres  your answer, all they need  is a  crib sheet they dont need  medical  knowledge, problem solved, what? but you  dont have enough beds?

[colinneil]

Well Dr Somsak there is the problem, the hotline should be fully staffed by experienced people doing nothing else.

Not volunteers who are busy already doing a full time job, time to get your act together, for the sakje of peoples health.

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

complaints, including the one from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, claiming that calls to the 1668 hotlines are, on many occasions, are left unanswered.

At the risk of going slightly OT about calls being unanswered, this seems hypocritical by our illustrious leader.

Back in July 2015 it was announced 'The government has decided to use 911 as the main emergency phone number nationwide, as it can connect to more state agencies than the existing 191.'

A national committee, chaired by the prime minister, will be set up to administer the 911 system.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/840525-thais-will-soon-dial-911-as-universal-emergency-number

 

Any day now, I'm sure it will be working, after only six years.
 

Perhaps the PM would also like to complain about the present 191 emergency number being unanswered during the night - in Udon Thani anyway.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Medical Services Department Director-General Dr. Somsak Akkasilp explained today that the 1668 hotline service, which has 20 lines, is normally manned by the department’s doctors and nurses, all of whom are volunteers doing the extra job during their working hours.

S.E.Asia medical hub in action.

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

At the risk of going slightly OT about calls being unanswered, this seems hypocritical by our illustrious leader.

Back in July 2015 it was announced 'The government has decided to use 911 as the main emergency phone number nationwide, as it can connect to more state agencies than the existing 191.'

A national committee, chaired by the prime minister, will be set up to administer the 911 system.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/840525-thais-will-soon-dial-911-as-universal-emergency-number

 

Any day now, I'm sure it will be working, after only six years.
 

Perhaps the PM would also like to complain about the present 191 emergency number being unanswered during the night - in Udon Thani anyway.

Oh, come on Blue, give the man a chance. that one is third on his list, after making lottery ticket sellers stick to the correct price, and rooting out all corruption in Government offices.

he is still busy working on the lottery tickets.........????

[Artisi]

5 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Oh, come on Blue, give the man a chance. that one is third on his list, after making lottery ticket sellers stick to the correct price, and rooting out all corruption in Government offices.

he is still busy working on the lottery tickets.........????

Seeing as there is no corruption in government offices, he is able to apply all his effort into the major problem to hand  of overpriced lottery tickets. 

[internationalism]

here comparison how call centers operate.

Can you spot any computer, laptop or any other electronic device on the second picture? 

even a landline can be operated with a headphone with a microphone, so you can use both your hands for typing or writing on paper.

at each table there is one phone and 2 people manning it. OK, the second person might be just learning the job. But sitting 2 health workers next to each other is any social distancing?

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3070009466560217&set=a.1867424193485423

 

and here is 2 minutes video from inside of the call centre. It doesn't look like 20 phones being operated, although there are more than 20 people messing around the room https://ch3plus.com/news/program/238122?fbclid=IwAR0dQQsfsZrcU9EprZs7jWRPiLXieBwgWi0POGNJId44Wmb6_tAq5ryBac8 

[bluesofa]

21 minutes ago, internationalism said:

here comparison how call centers operate.

Can you spot any computer, laptop or any other electronic device on the second picture? 

even a landline can be operated with a headphone with a microphone, so you can use both your hands for typing or writing on paper.

at each table there is one phone and 2 people manning it. OK, the second person might be just learning the job. But sitting 2 health workers next to each other is any social distancing?

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3070009466560217&set=a.1867424193485423

 

and here is 2 minutes video from inside of the call centre. It doesn't look like 20 phones being operated, although there are more than 20 people messing around the room https://ch3plus.com/news/program/238122?fbclid=IwAR0dQQsfsZrcU9EprZs7jWRPiLXieBwgWi0POGNJId44Wmb6_tAq5ryBac8 

I see our mate Big Nut sticking his oar in near the end of the Ch3 clip.

Perhaps the PM should have a word in his ear - socially distanced of course.

[nahkit]

2 hours ago, internationalism said:

here comparison how call centers operate.

Can you spot any computer, laptop or any other electronic device on the second picture? 

even a landline can be operated with a headphone with a microphone, so you can use both your hands for typing or writing on paper.

at each table there is one phone and 2 people manning it. OK, the second person might be just learning the job. But sitting 2 health workers next to each other is any social distancing?

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3070009466560217&set=a.1867424193485423

 

and here is 2 minutes video from inside of the call centre. It doesn't look like 20 phones being operated, although there are more than 20 people messing around the room https://ch3plus.com/news/program/238122?fbclid=IwAR0dQQsfsZrcU9EprZs7jWRPiLXieBwgWi0POGNJId44Wmb6_tAq5ryBac8 

I'm intrigued by the photo in the OP - what exactly is that man on the right doing to that woman's bum?

 

[johng]

6 minutes ago, nahkit said:

what exactly is that man on the right doing to that woman's bum?

 

Must be practising the Chinese (Anal) Covid testing method !

[MrJ2U]

17 hours ago, boogiewoogie said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/02/02/health/russia-sputnik-v-phase-3-intl/index.html

 

U wish u had ur hands on 91.6 vaccine right now buddy. Even if ISIS discovered it.

 

9 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

"Another problem from private labs, he said, is that some of them are not up to the standard and their positive test results are false, causing concern among those who were falsely tested positive. Some of these people were put together with those who are actually infected."

 

Wow!

 

Who had thought that it was that easy for healthy people to win a free 14-day stay in one of these brand new comfortable field hospitals, including being exposed to the virus there?

Its not free for falangs.

[robertson468]

Unbelievable outdated, inefficient and incompetant and Thailand aspires to become the hub of IT in Asia!

[mark131v]

20 phone lines 60 odd million people, yep that'll work...

[ParkerN]

Just now, robertson468 said:

Unbelievable outdated, inefficient and incompetant and Thailand aspires to become the hub of IT in Asia!

 

Anyone know what this means?

 

Yeah, I know. And it's not good...

[metisdead]

An off topic post commenting on forum moderation has been removed. 

[connda]

17 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

"Another problem from private labs, he said, is that some of them are not up to the standard and their positive test results are false, causing concern among those who were falsely tested positive. Some of these people were put together with those who are actually infected."

As well as having no standardized PCR test cycle counts (virus amplification cycles) so cases can never be reliably measured.
Every country in the world and every lab in every country should be using the same "standardized" PCR cycle count.

[internationalism]

the great photo shoot opportunity can never be missed - 12 top health officials with a backdrop of 3 call centre workers

 

 

[bluesofa]

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, internationalism said:

the great photo shoot opportunity can never be missed - 12 top health officials with a backdrop of 3 call centre workers

 

 

They're all there to show they have just had a blood test before donating blood. very commendable of them. Very public spirited.

[Dogmatix]

Jesus Christ. They had over a year to prepare for this and they can only come up with a last minute hotline staffed by doctors and nurses during their breaks.  So they prepared nothing. In the UK my sister, a retired GP, was recruited for this job so they could have experienced medics manning the hotlines without taking any doctors and nurses off the front line.  In Thailand it is considered OK for an incompetent idiot to give a pathetic excuse why no one answers the phone.  That means he failed and has become part of the problem.

[Dogmatix]

"Another problem from private labs, he said, is that some of them are not up to the standard and their positive test results are false, causing concern among those who were falsely tested positive. Some of these people were put together with those who are actually infected."

 

If you are a false positive and get dumped into a field hospital, you are sure to become a genuine positive quite soon and no one will ever know.  More than one posiive test should be required before people are forced into field hospitals without symptoms.

 

[Captor]

18 hours ago, MikeyIdea said:

Same as in Sweden except that the advice here is better. 
1177 Vårdguiden, enormous waiting times and finally, don't wear mask, that's for healt care workers and - I have had contact with a person infected with covid-19, what about contact tracing? No, we don't do that in Sweden, there's no process for it.   

Not true. I had C19 and I needed to tell everything I have done lately and when and how.

[Wongkitlo]

16 hours ago, bluesofa said:

At the risk of going slightly OT about calls being unanswered, this seems hypocritical by our illustrious leader.

Back in July 2015 it was announced 'The government has decided to use 911 as the main emergency phone number nationwide, as it can connect to more state agencies than the existing 191.'

A national committee, chaired by the prime minister, will be set up to administer the 911 system.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/840525-thais-will-soon-dial-911-as-universal-emergency-number

 

Any day now, I'm sure it will be working, after only six years.
 

Perhaps the PM would also like to complain about the present 191 emergency number being unanswered during the night - in Udon Thani anyway.

I always thought all responsibility goes to the top. A boss should never complain about those below because it is the bosses responsibility to ensure the systems are in place to ensure those below have no problems. Prayut has had over a year to create these systems but has done nothing and now complains and blames others.

[MikeyIdea]

7 hours ago, Captor said:

Not true. I had C19 and I needed to tell everything I have done lately and when and how.

 

Of course they collect information when an infectious disease is confirmed at a hospital, they must, that is standard protocol for infectious diseases everywhere in the world, but they never used it for contract tracing. 

I and other Swedes from the "Expats stranded abroad due to covid-19..." Facebook group had discussions about how to get the covid-19 test done in Sweden in July last year (mandatory to get the certificate of entry) and you could not get a covid-19 test done without being symptomatic, not even at private hospitals. Some Swedes lied and said they had symptoms and got their test that way. 

 

I called every single private hospital in southern Sweden, all but one said no so I drove to that one and paid, then the nurse tried to take my blood! Hang on, I ordered a covid-19 test, not a anti-body test and I swear to God or Buddha since I'm a buddhist, the nurse answered- We don't do covid-19 tests in Sweden and tried to persuade me how good an anti-body test was. She was the only health care worker in the hospital wearing a mask (the flimsy type). They finally returned the money and I had to drive down to Copenhagen (AirportDoctor) in Denmark to get my test done. This was in July last year.

 

I and my daughter both did the fit-for-fly certificate in Sweden, all health care workers worked without masks, the doctor came within 10 cm of my daughters face during the "examination", without mask, laughing for himself because we were wearing N95 masks. The 30 second examination included say Ahhh, take the temperature and cost USD 170 each.

 

This is first hand experience

 

 

[mikebell]

The reason hotlines are not answered is they are manned by Thai officials who are indisputably the laziest workers in the world. 

[Captor]

6 hours ago, MikeyIdea said:

 

Of course they collect information when an infectious disease is confirmed at a hospital, they must, that is standard protocol for infectious diseases everywhere in the world, but they never used it for contract tracing. 

I and other Swedes from the "Expats stranded abroad due to covid-19..." Facebook group had discussions about how to get the covid-19 test done in Sweden in July last year (mandatory to get the certificate of entry) and you could not get a covid-19 test done without being symptomatic, not even at private hospitals. Some Swedes lied and said they had symptoms and got their test that way. 

 

I called every single private hospital in southern Sweden, all but one said no so I drove to that one and paid, then the nurse tried to take my blood! Hang on, I ordered a covid-19 test, not a anti-body test and I swear to God or Buddha since I'm a buddhist, the nurse answered- We don't do covid-19 tests in Sweden and tried to persuade me how good an anti-body test was. She was the only health care worker in the hospital wearing a mask (the flimsy type). They finally returned the money and I had to drive down to Copenhagen (AirportDoctor) in Denmark to get my test done. This was in July last year.

 

I and my daughter both did the fit-for-fly certificate in Sweden, all health care workers worked without masks, the doctor came within 10 cm of my daughters face during the "examination", without mask, laughing for himself because we were wearing N95 masks. The 30 second examination included say Ahhh, take the temperature and cost USD 170 each.

 

This is first hand experience

 

 

We have private hospitals in Sweden? Never heared of that. Anyway i did my covid test (not antibody) 2 weeks before i came to hospital. And did the tracing stuff that time, BEFORE hospital. Look like we have totally different experience of the health care in Sweden.

[MikeyIdea]

7 hours ago, Captor said:

We have private hospitals in Sweden? Never heared of that. Anyway i did my covid test (not antibody) 2 weeks before i came to hospital. And did the tracing stuff that time, BEFORE hospital. Look like we have totally different experience of the health care in Sweden.

 

There are numerous private hospitals and clinics in Sweden now a days. I paste in a long list of län that have private hospitals below. Then only e.g., Capio Närsjukvård AB has 190 private clinics on top of that.

 

Stockholms län

Västergötland

Skåne

Bohuslän

Stockholm

Göteborg

Malmö

Uppsala

Borås

Helsingborg

Solna

Örebro

Uddevalla

Sundsvall

Lidingö

Skövde

Borlänge

Östersund

Eskilstuna

Katrineholm

 

There are hundreds of them so sorry, you don't sound very trustworthy if you don't know that