5,000 Seeking Help Each Day For Flood Woes, Illnesses: Thailand

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About 5,000 seeking help each day for flood woes, illnesses

By The Nation

Ministry makes child vaccinations top priority for mobile units

With an average of 5,000 people seeking help for floodrelated diseases and other health problems across the country each day, the Public Health Ministry has adjusted the operations of its mobile medical units, permanent secretary Phaijit Warachit said yesterday.

Patients have been prioritised into three groups: small children in need of immediate vaccination, who will be visited and administered injections right away; those requiring sustained care, such as pregnant women or those with disabilities, who will be visited periodically; and those with less serious problems, who are already catered to daily by 200 mobile units.

To minimise postflood outbreaks, villagers are being advised on diseasecontainment methods, such as installing sufficient latrines or putting garbage in plastic bags before disposal, he said.

According to a ministry report, 367,656 people had become sick and sought treatment during 2,889 visits by mobile units, with a daily average of about 5,000 people seeking treatment.

The most common complaints, in descending order, are: foot diseases, colds, muscle pains, skin rashes and stress.

Severe cases of stress disorder were found in 1,451 people, and 3,161 milder cases were found. A total of 375 cases - comprising people in both groups - were considered suicidal and provided with special care, while another 530 were being monitored.

Mudslide and flashflood warnings remain in effect in nine of the 26 flooded provinces, according to the government's new Flood Relief and Coordination Centre. The nine provinces are Lampang, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, Ubon Ratchathani, Trat, Chanthaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Rayong and Ranong.

The official death toll stood at 158, with three people missing, yesterday. The number of people affected was 1,927,120. A total of 8,088 villages in 141 districts of 26 provinces are inundated.

The possibility of heavy rain remained high across the country, according to a weather forecast yesterday, with Bangkok and the three heavily flooded Central provinces of Lop Buri, Saraburi and Ayutthaya facing a 70percent chance of rain, along with Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast. In other areas where rain was forecast, the likelihood was put at 60 per cent.

A Dusit Poll survey found that the public was happier with floodrelief efforts undertaken by the media and the private sector than they were with authorities' efforts. The 2,019 respondents, surveyed from September 1924, gave a 27percent approval rating to the media's efforts and a 25.5percent approval rating to authorities.

Approval rates, by source of assistance, were as follows, from highest to lowest: local businesses, local administrative bodies and local authorities. Percentages were not provided.

-- The Nation 2011-09-26

[bushwacker]

"A Dusit Poll survey found that the public was happier with flood relief efforts undertaken by the media and the private sector than they were with authorities' efforts."

Hahahahaha What a bunch of crap! I have checked the river here every day for a month now and seen each day, a hundred plus government people building dikes, piling sandbags, building extensions on to the permanent dikes, providing security, responding to emergencies etc. I have yet to see a camera man toss a sand bag!