Smoke-Bound South Gets 60,000 Facemasks: Thailand

[webfact]

Smoke-bound South gets 60,000 facemasks

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri yesterday said 60,000 facemasks had been sent to Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat to help protect vulnerable people from smoke inhalation following forest fires on Indonesia's Sumatra Island that have shrouded the five southern provinces in smoke.

A consignment of 50,000 other facemasks were being kept as back-up at the Disease Control Department because the situation would likely linger, he added.

After fear that residents' health may be threatened, Witthaya instructed local hospitals to prepare medical supplies and be on alert for signs of smoke inhalation, especially among those with heart disease or respiratory ailments, elderly persons and children.

Songkhla's Disease Control and Prevention Office 12 will distribute 12,000 facemasks in each of the five provinces, though office director Suwich Thampaolo reported that the fine-particle dust level in the five provinces had so far remained within safe limits. He said that cases of respiratory ailments had not yet risen; there were about 50-100 respiratory patients per day at each hospital, which was a normal rate.

The dense smoke and subsequent poor visibility in the lower Gulf of Thailand has left hundreds of Songkhla-based boats confined to port, where they are expected to remain for another one or two days while the smoke clears. The Songkhla Fishery Association said the halt to fishing hadn't affected fish supplies to markets and factories in the area because of surpluses from the previous catch.

A source said the number of Sumatra forest fires had decreased from 202 outbreaks to 107, but the southwest monsoon covering the Andaman, Southern Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand remained strong, with breezes pushing smoke over lower Southern Thailand.

-- The Nation 2012-07-03

[webfact]

60,000 health masks sent to smog-affected southern residents

BANGKOK, July 3 – Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has distributed some 60,000 health masks to local residents in five southern provinces as smog from Indonesian forest fires has blanketed the region.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said that smog, an annual occurrence from forest fire on Indonesia’s Sumatra has covered five provinces in southern Thailand – Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat -- posing a health threat to local residents.

The public health ministry ordered local health centres and hospitals to be prepared to treat patients with respiratory problems, particularly those with heart diseases, allergy, asthma, the elderly and children.

The disease prevention and control office in Songkhla was instructed to dispatch 12,000 health masks to local people in each of the five provinces and to stockpile another 50,000 masks as the smog situation is unlikely to ease soon.

People are advised to refrain from outdoor activities and wear masks or cover their noses with wet cloths. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-03

[chinook]

too little too late

[jaltsc]

"The public health ministry ordered local health centres and hospitals to be prepared to treat patients with respiratory problems, particularly those with heart diseases, allergy, asthma, the elderly and children...The disease prevention and control office in Songkhla was instructed to dispatch 12,000 health masks to local people".

First of all, I doubt that the masks which will be handed out will be more than the typical cloth variety or perhaps one with a small filter which would not be that effective against dense smoke. But more importantly...

How come they don't do this for the people in the north EVERY YEAR from the annual smoke caused from local burnings? Or better yet. stop the burning. Maybe it is easier or politically advantageous to only acknowledge smoke as a result from burning in a foreign country than to admit we have a domestically caused problem that is worse. They can't tell a foreign government to stop the burning, but they sure as hell could do something to prevent the burning in their own country. Start with education (Just being funny here) or with enforcing statutes with large fines which are enforced. Taking money out of the pockets of people who are programmed to burn anything that is flammable might be the only way to stop this major health hazard.

Edited July 3, 2012 by jaltsc

[jaltsc]

OK...I'm not making this stuff up, but the timing is perfect. As I am sitting here writing about the smoke in northern Thailand, there is some guy outside of my house, with no mask or other protective equipment, spraying chemical smoke, dust or whatever, most likely to kill mosquitoes responsible for dengue fever or malaria. However, no one came around to warn the villagers that this was happening and that they should close their windows or buy some protective devices in order to protect themselves from this poisonous chemical.

They also do this in town during the day when it is most crowded , when it could just as easily be accomplished at night when the town is empty and hardly anyone is at risk. Why? Most likely to show that they are doing something to protect against disease. However, in this case the cure is probably more dangerous than the illness. Who is in charge of public health here? Adolf Eichman?

[Thai at Heart]

Knowing the guy who is supplying this lot, there will be a couple of new Beemers in the office car park sometime in the very near future.

[webfact]

Trang monitors smog from Indonesian forest fires

TRANG, July 3 – Thai authorities in the southern province of Trang are closely monitoring the impact of smog from Indonesian forest fires is again blanketing the region, a seasonal occurrence.

Provincial disaster response chief Amnuay Jantararat said that the haze from Indonesian Sumatra this morning covers all of Trang’s 10 districts and seems thicker than in previous days.

Mr Amnuay said it is the second wave of smog blanketing the province this season, obstructing vision on the Trang-Sikao road and in the municipality itself.

The situation is not considered serious and public can continue to carry out their normal activities. Small trawlers in the local fishing fleet are able to operate normally but must take precautions due to poor visibility.

Trang Governor Theerayuth Iemtrakul, meanwhile, instructed all districts to closely monitor the situation. If it worsens, health authorities must distribute masks to the public, especially to protect children and elders who are especially at risk.

The rain in the province may ease the smog, wiping it out of the skies, and it was expected that the situation would return to normal within 1-2 days. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-03

[trainman34014]

You can bet that the company that supplies the masks is owned by someone 'connected' and suddenly had the answer to 'help out the nation' whilst making a financial killing.

[Nisa]

Kind of cool. Never had the government hand out masks back home for free when smoke from fires or smog hits populated areas.

[chainarong]

Kind of cool. Never had the government hand out masks back home for free when smoke from fires or smog hits populated areas.

Not only that unless the face masks are for smoke inhalation like fireman use they are completely useless

[Nisa]

Kind of cool. Never had the government hand out masks back home for free when smoke from fires or smog hits populated areas.

Not only that unless the face masks are for smoke inhalation like fireman use they are completely useless

Actually not true at all. Smoke particles are very large and these masks do "help" just as putting a cloth over your face in a building fire will help. If you smoke. try blowing the smoke out through a tissue and see how much is caught in the tissue. No doubt they are not ideal but they do help and they are free.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Nisa

[seminomadic]

From the title, I'm *amazed* that the South is actually moving toward the smoke....

[Narratio]

So 60,000 generic impregnated, formed cloth masks, held to the head with a little bit of elastic strap. Got it.

And these are for how many people? Perhaps it's one mask per family and the family members have to wear it in turns?

That's a... different... approach to public health than I'm used to seeing.

[belg]

i hope the masks are n75 certified, otherwise, in other words : useless

[jmdf103]

im in satun right now, and its raining very hard, should help to absorb all the smoke

[Payboy]

Be honest and just call them Saving Face Masks.

[khaowong1]

So 60,000 generic impregnated, formed cloth masks, held to the head with a little bit of elastic strap. Got it.

And these are for how many people? Perhaps it's one mask per family and the family members have to wear it in turns?

That's a... different... approach to public health than I'm used to seeing.

How many people in the area? Maybe 2-3 million. So they get 60,000 masks. Wow..

[Nisa]

So 60,000 generic impregnated, formed cloth masks, held to the head with a little bit of elastic strap. Got it.

And these are for how many people? Perhaps it's one mask per family and the family members have to wear it in turns?

That's a... different... approach to public health than I'm used to seeing.

How many people in the area? Maybe 2-3 million. So they get 60,000 masks. Wow..

Maybe for the older and younger people who don't have money or a sealed home with air conditioning they can stay in all day and night. But lets not that stop us from whining or pointing fingers because the government is doing something for people beyond telling them to stay indoors due to a situation the government neither can control or is responsible for.

[Dap]

60,00 won't go too far, but I suppose ... It's the thought that counts. Did they have a picture of a politician on them by any chance?

Edited July 3, 2012 by Dap