Upcountry Officials Ordered To Shut Up About Swine Flu

[george]

Officials muzzled on H1N1

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry is asking provincial health and hospital chiefs not to speak to the media about influenza A (H1N1) cases in an effort to calm disquiet over the extent of the spread of the virus.

Ministry spokesman Suphan Sithamma said a letter was being sent to senior health figures warning them not to say anything about the number of flu cases and details about the patients. All information was to be filtered through health authorities in Bangkok.

The ministry's hush-hush order came as [more ...]

-- Bangkok Post 2009-06-16

[Scott]

Oh yes, ignorance is bliss and the void won't be filled with rumors.

[Carib]

They are right, everybody without any knowledge what soever about what is really going on is causing more damage/panic and drama than needed. So does the press, this hype is getting a nuisance.

I read somewhere: No news is flu news. I think that sums it up.

[jonclark]

Oh come on don't be so cynical. We the uneducated masses have no need for this information, it's far too complex for us simpletons to be able to understand and it only concerns our health, nothing important.

So, shut up, grow rice and if you get sick no one will know, the problems will disappear. We know what is good for you

The issue here is the principle of with holding information from the public, rather than the content of that information.

[Carib]

Oh come on don't be so cynical. We the uneducated masses have no need for this information, it's far too complex for us simpletons to be able to understand and it only concerns our health, nothing important.

So, shut up, grow rice and if you get sick no one will know, the problems will disappear. We know what is good for you

The issue here is the principle of with holding information from the public, rather than the content of that information.

I see you what you mean, but right now there is an overkill of information, what will only lead to more and more unnecessary panic. Information is fine, but what is happening now is ridiculous.

[Mai Krap]

This latest information is far from a surprise. Anyone with half a brain has known the Swine Flu was coming for weeks and there was plenty of time to prepare the public instead of going straight into denial and cover up. The problem here and the problem that will still be here when this is all over is nobody wants to step up and take responsibility for anything in Thailand.

Just how hard a job would it be and how much money would it cost to teach people to wash their hands and not cough on each other? Its great that people are finally cleaning up the streets but its completely irrelevant to this current crises. The larger truth is the Thai medical community does not have the stomach to stand up and do what is correct concerning this or any other medical situation that requires education, leadership, and voice.

Edited June 16, 2009 by Mai Krap

[jonclark]

...... education, leadership, and voice.

One can only dream I'm afraid - would be nice though

[Scott]

My problem with the all this is the attempt to shut people up. Granted, it's only the flu, and it's only really dangerous to specific groups of people. But when this first came about, it was the gov't(s) that were banning people, quarantining people, buying thermal scanners and using it every fashion known to man to get support, money and votes.

Now, this flu is affecting us directly, so no further comment is necessary. This doesn't really fly does it?

And when this flu mutates, or combines with the bird flu, the silence will continue.

Information here is not the enemy.

[trogers]

I rather catch the swine flu now, when fatality rate is less than 1%, let the body develop immunity, to fight off the virus during the 2nd spread.

[cmsally]

Just an example from spending time at Suwanaphum airport yesterday.

There were perhaps 1 out of 50 people wearing masks (all were Asian and all were passengers).

It seems no staff had them. One of the cleaning ladies started to cough on her mopping rounds. A whole block of passengers moved down the corridor en masse before you could say H1N1.

Not directly related to flu but something that pretty much shows how lax things are is the taxi hustlers inside the building on the second level.

Its where a lot of people hang out that have time to spare, good if you want to avoid the crowds. But you have these gangs of taxi hustlers calling out over the balconies trying to attract peoples attention as they arrive downstairs. Pretty much every person there was giving them weird looks as it is really is more of a passenger/guest area and they thought it was really strange. Pretty much bad impressions all around.

[PoorSucker]

And what about if the tourists don't come.

[Old Man River]

My problem with the all this is the attempt to shut people up. Granted, it's only the flu, and it's only really dangerous to specific groups of people. But when this first came about, it was the gov't(s) that were banning people, quarantining people, buying thermal scanners and using it every fashion known to man to get support, money and votes.

Now, this flu is affecting us directly, so no further comment is necessary. This doesn't really fly does it?

And when this flu mutates, or combines with the bird flu, the silence will continue.

Information here is not the enemy.

I fully agree with you. I am surprised that they are being so open about muzzling officials. In essence, they are being transparent in their attempt to be non transparent.

[Thai at Heart]

On this one I wholeheartedly agree.

As long as the statements about WHERE they are finding patients are truthful I would applaud any government effort to get their ducks in a row concerning public statements. As long as the statements are truthful it is a hel_l of a lot better than every local doctor telling newspapers that they have found a flu case here and a flu case there before it is proven to be swine flu.

Now if only they could get the police to do the same thing concerning cases. Although their policy seems to be not to make any statements at all that cause a problem. You only have to see how badly managed the statements about David Carradine or the deaths in Phi Phi were handled to realise that deliberate disinformation from the local source is used to confuse the issues and hide the truth.

[JR Texas]

My problem with the all this is the attempt to shut people up. Granted, it's only the flu, and it's only really dangerous to specific groups of people. But when this first came about, it was the gov't(s) that were banning people, quarantining people, buying thermal scanners and using it every fashion known to man to get support, money and votes.

Now, this flu is affecting us directly, so no further comment is necessary. This doesn't really fly does it?

And when this flu mutates, or combines with the bird flu, the silence will continue.

Information here is not the enemy.

I fully agree with you. I am surprised that they are being so open about muzzling officials. In essence, they are being transparent in their attempt to be non transparent.

Given their history of being non transparent in the face of transparent crises, I like the fact that they are being transparent about being non transparent in this transparent crisis.

[meelousee]

Officials muzzled on H1N1

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry is asking provincial health and hospital chiefs not to speak to the media about influenza A (H1N1) cases in an effort to calm disquiet over the extent of the spread of the virus.

Ministry spokesman Suphan Sithamma said a letter was being sent to senior health figures warning them not to say anything about the number of flu cases and details about the patients. All information was to be filtered through health authorities in Bangkok.

The ministry's hush-hush order came as [more ...]

-- Bangkok Post 2009-06-16

The very next thing is to "Over react" it always follows Denial>Coverup>official orders of shut up

[handydog]

Muzzeling the line of bu11shirt we are all being fed?

I will be concerned when the death-count surpasses that of normal flu fatalities each year.

[slapout]

When you are exposed to some of the statements attributable to many of appointees who are being interviewed/making statements about public, physical/mental health measures here, it may be displaying some far thinking/reasoning, for once.

[sriracha john]

A goodly number of other countries have official announcements issued only from the headquarters of the responsible Department/Ministry. In fact, for many, it's a matter of long-standing, standard protocol and accounts for Public Relations, Media Relations, etc. are all done from a Department/Ministry's headquarters locale.

[Thai at Heart]

A goodly number of other countries have official announcements issued only from the headquarters of the responsible Department/Ministry. In fact, for many, it's a matter of long-standing, standard protocol and accounts for Public Relations, Media Relations, etc. are all done from a Department/Ministry's headquarters locale.

Exactly.

Let's just hope they tell the truth which I presume they will.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...-of-flu-figures

PM: No hiding of flu figures

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 16/06/2009 at 03:34 PM

The Public Health Ministry will not stop reporting the number of A(H1N1) influenza cases in Thailand, since it would not do any good, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.

"I talked to Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai about this matter. He said the ministry will not stop reporting flu cases.

''However, only the number of confirmed cases will be reported to prevent confusion," he said.

Mr Abhisit was responding to a report that public health officials had been told not the speak to the media about the flu cases in their areas.

He did not think Thailand would have to restrict travel across the border, even if if the pandemic alert is raised another notch to level C.

The Public Health Ministry's latest number of confirmed cases is 310.

[sriracha john]

Centralized reporting of cases is especially preferred when it's coupled with proper and widespread public education.

This swine flu is already lightyears more transparent than bird flu was:

Doctors to explain Type-A (H1N1) flu on Channel 11 Sunday

In a bid to allay public fear about the influenza A(H1N1), epidemiologists from the Public Health Ministry, Chulalongkorn Hospital and Siriraj Hospital will explain everything about this new disease live on TV this Sunday.

Viewers can also phone in to ask questions during the broadcast.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai Tuesday said the doctors would go on air on Channel 11 between 8.30pm and 10pm on June 21.

-- The Nation 2009-06-16

=====================================================

Public Health Ministry to distribute influenza A handbooks nationwide

BANGKOK, 16 June 2009 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health will distribute one million copies of influenza A handbooks nationwide to educate the public on preventive and self-caring methods against the A (H1N1) virus in the next few days.

Prior to attending the cabinet meeting today, Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi said the handbooks would be distributed to people in educational institutions and communities nationwide, to acknowledge them of how to take care of their health and prevent the spread of the new flu. He expected the handbooks to be distributed within the next 1-2 days.

-- NNT 2009-06-16

[richard10365]

I think since I was born in a place like the USA I too feel the government should do more to inform the public on what is going on with swine flu. However, I'm not Thai and it might be wrong for me to assume that what works in my culture and society would work equally in Thailand.

The Public Health Ministry is asking health officials not to speak to the media. It is quite easy to see how the Thai media might do more cause panic than to put out accurate information. From the way I am reading this, the Public Health Ministry wants to be the source of all press releases concerning this problem.

I don't see anything wrong with that.

[animatic]

IF THIS MEANS TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURACY VIA ONE SOURCE OF INFORMATION...

Fair play, it will cause less confusion if JUST confirmed cases and their locations

are reported through ONE master source.

I agree this is not the same as the face saving Bird Flue stupidity of last round.

A distinct improvement, saving peoples well beings, and not just Thailand's face,

will GAIN face for all involved.

The genie is out of the bottle, as long as we know accurately where it is wafting about,

better to not have many sources of reference but one good one.

[Scott]

Saving face is the modus operandi of the country. I don't trust this gov't. I didn't trust the previous one and I don't trust the one in my own country.

When this virus mutates and when people starting getting really sick, you trust them to tell us? There goal is to prevent panic--and how do we panic, we start washing our hands and taking care of ourselves.

[sibeymai]

If it's not acknowledged publicly it doesn't exist, right ?

[kimincm]

Centralized reporting of cases is especially preferred when it's coupled with proper and widespread public education.

This swine flu is already lightyears more transparent than bird flu was:

Doctors to explain Type-A (H1N1) flu on Channel 11 Sunday

In a bid to allay public fear about the influenza A(H1N1), epidemiologists from the Public Health Ministry, Chulalongkorn Hospital and Siriraj Hospital will explain everything about this new disease live on TV this Sunday.

Viewers can also phone in to ask questions during the broadcast.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai Tuesday said the doctors would go on air on Channel 11 between 8.30pm and 10pm on June 21.

-- The Nation 2009-06-16

=====================================================

Public Health Ministry to distribute influenza A handbooks nationwide

BANGKOK, 16 June 2009 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health will distribute one million copies of influenza A handbooks nationwide to educate the public on preventive and self-caring methods against the A (H1N1) virus in the next few days.

Prior to attending the cabinet meeting today, Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi said the handbooks would be distributed to people in educational institutions and communities nationwide, to acknowledge them of how to take care of their health and prevent the spread of the new flu. He expected the handbooks to be distributed within the next 1-2 days.

-- NNT 2009-06-16

Gaddart chet toot pang.

Edited June 16, 2009 by kimincm

[Johpa]

I rather catch the swine flu now, when fatality rate is less than 1%, let the body develop immunity, to fight off the virus during the 2nd spread.

I believe that flu viruses and other such nasties tend to mutate to become less virulent over time.

[sriracha john]

Gaddart chet toot pang.

Sorry, I've lost the bookmark for my Swahili to English online translator.

[hansnl]

Saving face is the modus operandi of the country. I don't trust this gov't. I didn't trust the previous one and I don't trust the one in my own country.

When this virus mutates and when people starting getting really sick, you trust them to tell us? There goal is to prevent panic--and how do we panic, we start washing our hands and taking care of ourselves.

AHHHHHHHHH

Deny here is a problem and it will certainly disappear?

I don't trust politicians.

They are only in politics for the power.

Not for the money, now, that will come later.

[Felt 35]

Officials muzzled on H1N1

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry is asking provincial health and hospital chiefs not to speak to the media about influenza A (H1N1) cases in an effort to calm disquiet over the extent of the spread of the virus.

Ministry spokesman Suphan Sithamma said a letter was being sent to senior health figures warning them not to say anything about the number of flu cases and details about the patients. All information was to be filtered through health authorities in Bangkok.

They are good to it to.

Latest update from WHO (15. June) show that Thailand have some 20 confirmed cases. Latest news in The Nation and here on TV show a significant difference!!

[baht&sold]

To the seemingly majority of 'WE ARE DOOMED' contingent here, any plans for your potential final days on earth? Perhaps building an armour-plated biosphere to be occupied by 'like-minded' individuals to re-populate the planet? (brrr;)

Would there be a minimum alarmist, tinfoil hat or UFOlogist type post count to qualify? One concern may be if the biosphere has it's own internal forum, the inhabitants may turn on each other as the continual one-upped hysteria within mounts (banned takes on a whole new meaning;)

It would be a cruel twist if we on the outside were fine, but decided to keep sending manufactured scenes of utter chaos from outside to those inside (for OUR protection, should they want to get out again;)

Ah well, think I'll takes me chances on the outside, but thanks for the warning.

Chok dee