2 Million Treated For Diseases

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2 million treated for diseases

By The Nation

Published on February 1, 2010

BANGKOK: -- Every minute someone comes down from one of the five chronic debilitating diseases tracked by the Public Health Ministry.

Two million patients were treated at hospitals in 44 provinces for the five diseases, according to the 2008 monitoring report, Dr Paijit Warachit, permanent secretary at the ministry, said yesterday.

Of the total cases, about 646,000 were for diabetes, 1,146,000 for high blood pressure, 148,000 for ischemic heart disease, 108,000 for stroke and 32,000 for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Chai Nat, Angthong, Sing Buri, Lop Buri, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun and Lampang were found to have the most patients, he said.

About 718,000 of the two million had fallen ill in 2008, which was like 60,000 patients per month or one patient per minute.

The ministry instructed provincial health offices to survey those aged over 35 to plan preventive measures and healthcare for patients to prevent complications leading to disability or death.

The year 2008 had seen 10 per cent or 224,500 chronic patients suffering from complications.

-- The Nation 2010-02-01

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[alant]

not bad, only 200,000 with complications in a population of well over 60,000,000.

Edited February 1, 2010 by alant