Health facilities across the country have been ordered to prepare for flooding. They were also told to put contingency plans in place so that services could continue uninterrupted.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Kiatiphum Wongrajit said 18 health facilities had been affected by the floods so far in September. 16 of them have already reopened while 2 others remain closed. Health facilities were urged to monitor the water situation and develop response plans that would enable uninterrupted service delivery. This is especially true for services for people with chronic illnesses, bedridden patients, those requiring kidney dialysis, and chemotherapy patients. Dr. Kiatiphum indicated that response plans have been drawn up for each locality.
A total of 85 public health teams have been set up to provide physical and mental care to people. They have so far served over 6,000 people. Dr Kiatiphum said 10 million baht from the central budget will be used to mitigate impacts and emergencies during the floods. Medicines, medical supplies and bags containing survival items were prepared. Each province also has an additional budget of 5-10 million baht to provide health services to people in case of emergency.
The permanent secretary said the bulk of flood impacts involve damage to property such as vehicles and objects inside the home. These impacts can give rise to short-term stress, but Thais are able to adapt well to these impacts. Dr Kiatiphum said long-term effects on mental health are not expected, unlike in 2011 when a flood lasted 30-45 days. As many as 10% of 2011 flood victims suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in the 3 years following the floods. Dr Kiatiphum added that the low rate of people with mental health problems this year was partly due to the speed of assistance provided. (NNT)
