Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has sent 144 teams of medics to help flood victims in 17 provinces and they have already treated more than 8,000 people, mostly suffering from foot diseases, according to the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr. Kiattibhoom Vongrachit.
The medics have visited 19,042 households, distributed 13,793 sets of medication for waterborne diseases and treated 8,597 other flood victims, including 5,295 with foot diseases.
There are also 992 cases of skin infections and 894 of fatigue. Two were found to be suffering from stress, out of 7,395 whohad their mental health assessed.
Dr. Kiattibhoom said he has instructed local health officials to monitor waterborne diseases and flood-related health problems, adding that 684 cases of respiratory and 164 cases digestive system illnesses were found, along with eight cases of food poisoning and diarrhoea. Dengue fever and leptospirosis have not yet been reported.
He also advised people in flooded areas to exercise special care with electrical systems, to reduce the risk of electric shock, and to prevent their small children from drowning.
Recent and current flooding has affected 264,210 households in 31 provinces. 27 people have drowned or died of otherflood-related causes and 51 have been injured with one still missing.
Altogether, 78 hospitals and health offices have been affected by flooding, but 48 of them have resumed normal operations, with eight others partially operational.
