Phi Phi Sprayed Daily In Race Against Disease

[george]

Phi Phi sprayed daily in race against disease

BANGKOK: -- Ten teams from the Ministry of Public Health are spraying the tourist island of Koh Phi Phi with insecticide on a daily basis in a desperate race to control the spread of flies and disease following last month’s tsunami.

Dr. Anuphong Suchariyakun, a disease control expert who is heading the disease control team in Krabi Province, confirmed today that no outbreaks of disease had occurred in the province since massive tidal waves struck on 26 December.

However, he admitted that disease control was an uphill task, with local medical officers setting up mobile units on Koh Phi Phi to offer health services to the public and ensure environmental hygiene.

Around 35-40 patients are now seeking the services of the mobile unit each day, around half the number of people who sought medical assistance from the unit in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami. The majority of people using the service are rescue workers suffering from minor wounds.

Dr. Anuphong said that health officers were also taking urgent measures to control disease on the island in the wake of the tsunami, with 10 teams of disease control officers spraying the island with insecticide on a daily basis to help kill off flies and larvae which could spread disease.

However, he stressed that islanders should also try to control refuse levels in order to reduce the number of breeding grounds for insects, and should ensure that food scraps were thrown away in sealed plastic sacks.

-- TNA 2005-01-09