Thailand's Public Health Ministry Targets Reducing Food Poisoning And Diarrhea In Schools

[webfact]

Public Health Ministry targets reducing food poisoning and diarrhea at schools by 30%

BANGKOK, 5 April 2013 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health is targeting to reduce cases of food poisoning and diarrhea at schools by at least 30% this year.

Md. Wichai Thienthawon, assistant to the minister of public health, chaired a seminar on food safety in schools and child development centers yesterday. Speaking at the seminar, he cited research on food- and water-borne diseases over the past 5 years, which found that diarrhea was the most prevalent disease of the category.

In 2012, more than a million patients were afflicted by the disease. Dr. Wichai said the illness affects the health and development of students, thus the Ministry of Public Health is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to carry out an initiative between 2013-2015, for the reduction of food poisoning and diarrhea found in school children.

Under the project, clean raw materials for foods at school will be sought, and there will be a reporting system to alert district hospitals of food poisoning outbreaks. The aim is to reduce food poisoning and diarrhea cases at schools and childcare centers by 30% within this year.

-- NNT 2013-04-05

[JetsetBkk]

clean raw materials for foods at school will be sought

Yes, that's probably a good start.

Edit:

You know, we're not supposed to be overly critical of Thailand on this forum but, Jesus H Christ, it is hard sometimes.

Edited April 5, 2013 by JetsetBkk

[RisqEM]

I'll bet they expect a pat on the back for this one...

[Pimay1]

A couple more novel ideas for them to teach is every student wash their hands with soap before eating and don't eat directly out of the same bowl with their spoons.

[SOTIRIOS]

...one cup per water dispenser.....

...no soap in washrooms....

....no soap in kitchens......

....tap water for cooking....

....no control of insect infestation....

....no discarding of spoiled food....

...no control of use of pesticides....

...over 5000 'reported' cases a day.......

[Markaew]

I'll bet they expect a pat on the back for this one...

Maybe, but they haven't accomplished anything yet. Just more announcements and then it goes away.

[Markaew]

In all honesty these are very common events and no one really expects it to change. I believe it's woven into the culture.

Soooo... what 's the next news announcement and/or declaration that will never come to pass.

[nattydread]

Handwashing is one of the most important ways of controlling the spread of infections, especially those that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and respiratory disease

I swim in the pool at my condo which is directly adjacent to the kitchen of the restaurant on one side and staff toilets on the other..I can see directly into the hand washing area that is provided for post toilet use and I swear that only 1 in 10 of the kitchen and waitress staff bother to wash their hands..the condo is 3/4 star rated so u would think they would know better...needless to say I dont eat at the restaurant..saying that though I doubt any of the street food vendors ever bother

[ppmacready]

Ditto!

[ppmacready]

You know, we're not supposed to be overly critical of Thailand on this forum but, Jesus H Christ, it is hard sometimes.

Ditto!

[youngXpat]

A couple more novel ideas for them to teach is every student wash their hands with soap before eating and don't eat directly out of the same bowl with their spoons.

Yes, common sense.

I don't know about all Government schools but the few I've been too, there has been little or NO soap in the toilets. The kids are also expected to carry the waste bins out to discard the refuse.

We just can't imagine how quickly bacteria can spread throughout these schools due to something so basic as washing ones hands after a visit to the toilet or touching waste.

Nearly forgot, and I know I'm not the only one who's noticed this but when out in public, I always amaze at MOST, not all Thai guys, when they finish their business in the toilet, approach the sink, run the water, AVOID the soap then after shaking off the surplus water from their hands, proceed to style their hair with their CLEAN??? hands. Not bad if you've just had a number 1 but if you've just took a sh*t, with no tissue and just the water jet!!!!

[ppmacready]

Handwashing is one of the most important ways of controlling the spread of infections, especially those that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and respiratory disease

I swim in the pool at my condo which is directly adjacent to the kitchen of the restaurant on one side and staff toilets on the other..I can see directly into the hand washing area that is provided for post toilet use and I swear that only 1 in 10 of the kitchen and waitress staff bother to wash their hands..the condo is 3/4 star rated so u would think they would know better...needless to say I dont eat at the restaurant..saying that though I doubt any of the street food vendors ever bother

At the new Burger King on 2nd rd in Pattaya there is no where to wash your hands.

They sent me across an obstacle course to an outside toilet.

You guessed it no soap!

And gave me that famous Thai sulk when I complained.

[youngXpat]

Handwashing is one of the most important ways of controlling the spread of infections, especially those that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and respiratory disease

I swim in the pool at my condo which is directly adjacent to the kitchen of the restaurant on one side and staff toilets on the other..I can see directly into the hand washing area that is provided for post toilet use and I swear that only 1 in 10 of the kitchen and waitress staff bother to wash their hands..the condo is 3/4 star rated so u would think they would know better...needless to say I dont eat at the restaurant..saying that though I doubt any of the street food vendors ever bother

At the new Burger King on 2nd rd in Pattaya there is no where to wash your hands.

They sent me across an obstacle course to an outside toilet.

You guessed it no soap!

And gave me that famous Thai sulk when I complained.

You complained! You naughty customer They don't like that

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed.

[belg]

children go to private (not international) school... often there is no soap in the toilets, often they eat chicken rice ... 100.000 baht per year schoolfee !!!

[Chao Lao Beach]

My local Private Catholic Primary school, one of the biggest in the province still refuses to fill the soap dispensers next to the toilets hand wash with Soap.

Doesn't mater how many times I point it out to them, they just DO NOT CARE a bit.

Deliberately making the kids sick they are to save 50 Baht a day in liquid soap. But it is ok as they have lots of signs to wash your hands.

[vijer]

Recipe for diarrhea and or food poisoning:

1. Buy chicken or pork.
2. Leave meat out in the heat for several hours and allow the flies to eat some of the meat.
3. At some point prepare meat on cutting board that has been wiped with a dirty towel.
4. Cook meat in a pan that has been rinsed, not washed.
5. Add vegetables that have been picked from the side of the road growing in a canal filled with pollution.
6. Add fermented fish sauce that has been sitting in the heat for weeks.
7. Add some kind of paste that has been sitting in the heat for months and months.
8. Cook all of this at a low temperature, say 35c, not actually hot enough to kill bacteria.
9. Remove from heat and place in a metal dish and allow to sit in the heat to achieve room temperature. And allow more bugs to feed on the food.
10. Wait several hours then serve the food at room temperature.

It is almost impossible to get a hot meal in Thailand. After spending several years eating with Thais I have yet to be served a hot meal. They will buy all kinds of food, then set it out, then sit and yammer at each other for 30 minutes or more and then after the food is cold they will finally eat it.

[vijer]

My local Private Catholic Primary school, one of the biggest in the province still refuses to fill the soap dispensers next to the toilets hand wash with Soap.

Doesn't mater how many times I point it out to them, they just DO NOT CARE a bit.

Deliberately making the kids sick they are to save 50 Baht a day in liquid soap. But it is ok as they have lots of signs to wash your hands.

This is standard Thailand, everywhere, same at my school. You are expected to take a dump and hose off your posterior and maybe even rub your bum hole with your finger and then rinse your hands.

[NeverSure]

This is what I don't understand about bum guns. So many places I see these with no place to wash hands with soap, much less disinfectant soap.

At least with toilet paper I'm practiced enough to not get shirt on my hands. And, where I see toilet paper, there is also soap and water.

I do see a benefit to bum guns for those who actually cut their fingernails and wash their hands.

(shivers)

[Skywalker69]

A couple more novel ideas for them to teach is every student wash their hands with soap before eating and don't eat directly out of the same bowl with their spoons.

100% agreed, could be E-coli bacterias.

[Markaew]

My local Private Catholic Primary school, one of the biggest in the province still refuses to fill the soap dispensers next to the toilets hand wash with Soap.

Doesn't mater how many times I point it out to them, they just DO NOT CARE a bit.

Deliberately making the kids sick they are to save 50 Baht a day in liquid soap. But it is ok as they have lots of signs to wash your hands.

Good way to loose your job.

[Markaew]

My local Private Catholic Primary school, one of the biggest in the province still refuses to fill the soap dispensers next to the toilets hand wash with Soap.

Doesn't mater how many times I point it out to them, they just DO NOT CARE a bit.

Deliberately making the kids sick they are to save 50 Baht a day in liquid soap. But it is ok as they have lots of signs to wash your hands.

This is standard Thailand, everywhere, same at my school. You are expected to take a dump and hose off your posterior and maybe even rub your bum hole with your finger and then rinse your hands.

Too much information.

[phetaroi]

Maybe I'm going to have to rethink my absolute opposition to the Red Shirts. I unconvinced at how effective they are at solving problems, but at least they seem to be more honest about acknowledging problems.

[Chao Lao Beach]

My local Private Catholic Primary school, one of the biggest in the province still refuses to fill the soap dispensers next to the toilets hand wash with Soap.

Doesn't mater how many times I point it out to them, they just DO NOT CARE a bit.

Deliberately making the kids sick they are to save 50 Baht a day in liquid soap. But it is ok as they have lots of signs to wash your hands.

Good way to loose your job.

Not Likely

But they still insist on not putting liquid soap into the soap dispensers so even if kids do want to they can not. Mind Boggles.

[jamhar]

As a poster said above, acknowledgement of the problem is the first step at solving it.

Great first step.

and lots of suggestions here.

Lets see if they can act on any of it.

I hope so, for the kids sake!

[seajae]

yes, some old fashioned hygeine would suffice in a lot of cases, to be honest the only people I see washing their hands in the toilets are the farangs, the thais just walk out. Add to that , that most food is cooked well before hand then sat on a table for an hour or two or three(or the next day) before they actually consume it. The sauce bottles have old mouldy sauce around them, the oil is dirty and smells, the sink stinks(cannot find any disinfectant here apart from Dettol), they use cold water to rinse(not wash) the dishes and put all the utensils away wet.

I am surprised more people do not die from it, I actually went to a bbq cafe and refused to eat after seeing all the food on dishes in the open and covered with blow flies, meat included, I nearlt threw up then just walked out, yuk