Thailand sends COVID-19 patients to hometowns by train

BANGKOK – Authorities successful Thailand began transporting immoderate radical who tested affirmative for the coronavirus from Bangkok to their hometowns connected Tuesday for isolation and attraction to alleviate the load connected the capital’s overwhelmed aesculapian system.

A bid carrying much than 100 patients and aesculapian workers successful afloat protective cogwheel near the metropolis for the northeast.

It volition driblet patients disconnected successful 7 provinces, wherever they volition beryllium met by wellness officers and taken to hospitals.

Medical authorities successful Bangkok said Monday that each ICU beds for COVID-19 patients astatine nationalist hospitals were afloat and that immoderate of the sick were being treated successful exigency rooms. Officials said they person asked service medics to assistance retired astatine civilian hospitals.

“These are patients from Bangkok who haven’t received attraction successful hospitals. We privation to bring them to doctors successful their hometowns. And the traveling process is controlled each done the journey,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who was connected manus to ticker the operation.

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“We volition proceed this work until nary COVID-19 patients who cannot get beds successful Bangkok are left,” helium said.

He said buses, vans and adjacent craft mightiness beryllium deployed to nonstop radical backmost to little severely affected provinces.

Thailand initially kept coronavirus cases successful cheque but outbreaks person flared successful caller months.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s authorities is facing harsh disapproval implicit its handling of a delta variant-fueled surge and dilatory vaccination program, amid reports of radical dying successful the streets oregon successful their homes portion waiting for treatment.

Of Thailand's full of astir 500,000 confirmed cases and much than 4,000 fatalities, 137,263 cases and 2,176 deaths person been recorded successful Bangkok.

Most of the 4,451 beds for COVID-19 patients successful the metropolis of astir 15 cardinal are occupied by radical with mild oregon nary symptoms. Hospitals are opening to impulse specified patients to isolate astatine location oregon successful assemblage isolation centers.

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Bangkok Gov. Aswin Kwanmuang said the metropolis authorities volition coordinate with the State Railway to instal 240 beds successful 15 railway carriages successful a attraction shed successful the city's immense Bang Sue presumption arsenic a “pre-admission center" for coronavirus patients without symptoms.

He visited the presumption connected Tuesday to inspect the carriages. He said they should beryllium acceptable for usage by Friday.

The authorities said supplies of aesculapian oxygen are capable and manufacturers person been asked to guarantee capable is available. But radical sick with coronavirus who are incapable to find places for attraction are not ever capable to get supplemental oxygen.

Meanwhile, immoderate temples successful the devoutly Buddhist state person begun to connection escaped cremations arsenic the fig of deaths rises, the authorities said.

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