Bt187m earmarked for Ebola cases

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Bt187m earmarked for Ebola cases
Puangchumpoo Prasert,
Wasu Wipoosanapat
The Nation


File Photo

BANGKOK: -- AN URGENT budget of Bt187 million has been arranged to tackle potential Ebola cases in Thailand, Deputy PM Yongyuth Yuthavong said yesterday.

Yongyuth, who is also president of a national committee for prevention and preparedness against the transmission of disease, said the panel agreed yesterday to the funding to prevent a possible Ebola outbreak.

The budget is part of the Bt3-billion already earmarked for a long-term plan to prepare for all types of disease. However, the Budget Bureau would have to assess the urgent request before it is put to Cabinet for approval.

Dr Sophon Mekthon, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the budget would be used to fund lab tests, risk-management for health staff and lab chemicals. The budget does not include building a Level 4 bio-safety laboratory.

Dr Sophon said six new laboratories would be set up around the country, on top of two that are already in place. Three of the labs would be located in medical schools in Bangkok, including the Faculties of Medicine at Mahidol University, Ramathibodi and Phra-mongkutklao Hospitals. The three others would be at Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Prince of Songkhla universities.

Meanwhile, initial feedback on the "success" of antibodies against Ebola developed by Thai researchers at Siriraj Hospital is expected later this month.

Four researchers from Siriraj are set to deliver Ebola antibodies to a Level 4 bio-safety laboratory in the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the US on November 18.The delegation will be led by Prof Dr Wanpen Chaicumpa, and will include research team leader Prof Dr Ruengpung Sutthent along with two other researchers.

If the antibodies are effective and safe, they may be tried out on patients in west Africa.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bt187m-earmarked-for-Ebola-cases-30247464.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-11

[Thai at Heart]

With money flying around like this, seems like they are hoping a few cases arrive. I mean if one actually arrived, the budget might go up to 500mn.

Who knows, get 10 cases and it could reach billions. Wouldn't that be great.....

[terryp]

there is much more to this than people think, especially the newly concocted airborne strain , a planned pandemic is on the cards, just in texas they have ordered over 1 million disposable hasmat suits fpr delivery next month...to me it looks like feb/march is the trigger

[NongKhaiKid]

Just a thought but in an online conversation with a friend in the US he pointed out how Ebola is no longer headline news on the major networks.

maybe it will be again when ... ?

[noitom]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

With money flying around like this, seems like they are hoping a few cases arrive. I mean if one actually arrived, the budget might go up to 500mn.

Who knows, get 10 cases and it could reach billions. Wouldn't that be great.....

Lots to skim off to Thai big men.

[Boxclever]

So here's the kick-back to the medical fraternity for backing the coup...

[Fiddlesticks]

10 baht for me, 1 baht for the lab, 3 baht for my supervisor, 1 baht for equipment, 20 baht for me . . .

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Maybe they should budget a few hundred million for Y2K while they are at it.