Evacuation of survivors from Tham Luang cave to hospitals will be carried out by helicopters instead of by ambulances so that they can reach the Chiang Rai hospital within just 15 minutes.
Dr Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, Zone 1 public health inspector, said Sunday that the evacuation plan from the cave to hospitals has been adjusted by using helicopters instead of ambulances as earlier planned.
He explained that travelling by ambulances from the cave to Chiang Rai provincial hospital would take about an hour while travelling in helicopters would take just 15 minutes.
According to initial assessment of the health of the 13 boys and coach, Dr Thongchai said it was presumed that all of them are weak for lack of food and drinking water for more than a week. And if they have wounds on their bodies, he said they would first-aid treatment at the field hospital at the cave before they are to be flown to hospitals.
He said that the survivors might develop breathing problem because they were in the cave with high humidity and they also would problems adjusting to bright light after having spent days in darkness.
As for the families of the 13, the doctor said they were in high spirit and with hope after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha gave them moral support and were given counselling by doctors.
However, he admitted that there are a few parents who feel stressed.
