Bangkok Post 11/7:
Prepare for worst, hospitals ordered
KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI
The government has activated a plan to avert a possible health catastrophe from bird flu amid global fears the virus may mutate, become more virulent and trigger a pandemic. Although reports of human-to-human transmission have yet to be confirmed, provincial hospitals have been ordered to prepare for the worst.
Many have already pinpointed possible sites for field hospitals, temporary shelters and helipads to treat and transfer large numbers of patients in case a pandemic strikes.
Agencies such as the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, Defence Ministry, and National Police Bureau have been ordered to support emergency response and draft plans for evacuation, peacekeeping and corpse management operations.
The operations are part of the National Strategic Plan for Avian Influenza Control and Influenza Pandemic Preparedness 2005-2007.
Drafted by the National Committee on Avian Influenza Control, the three-year plan was ordered by cabinet on Jan 25, about a year after the first human case of bird flu was confirmed in Thailand.
Chaturon Chaisaeng, then deputy prime minister and chairman of the committee, said the high mortality rate for patients infected with the H5N1 virus strain of bird flu, more than 70%, and serious outbreaks of the virus since 2004 had prompted the plan.
So far, Thailand has confirmed 20 cases of H5N1 infection, 13 of whom died. Last year, the Public Health Ministry reported a case of suspected human-to-human transmission in Kamphaeng Phet province, where the virus was suspected to have passed from an infected girl to her mother, who had no record of contact with chickens but became sick and died after nursing her daughter.
``Thailand is at risk of being the origin of a global influenza pandemic. The country is under a pandemic alert, which means there is a high risk of it developing into a pandemic,'' the plan says.
Cabinet has approved a four-billion-baht budget for avian influenza outbreak control and 776 million baht for influenza pandemic preparedness, under which almost 600 million baht will be spent on stockpiling medical supplies and essential equipment.
Goals listed in the 80-page plan include production of H5N1 vaccines for poultry, diagnostic kits, and anti-viral drugs; studying the virus to better predict outbreaks; setting up isolation rooms in hospitals; stockpiling medical supplies and protective gear (masks, goggles, gloves, boots, gowns, head covers); and drafting criteria for fair distribution of limited medical supplies.
Epidemiologists and health experts drafting the plan, however, said various problems and obstacles were likely to arise which could hamper the country's influenza preparedness, such as inadequate attention from the public, poor integration between bird flu surveillance in humans and animals and lack of self-reliance on influenza vaccines and anti-viral drugs.
Professor Prasert Thongcharoen, a virology expert at Siriraj Hospital and president of the Influenza Foundation of Thailand, lauded the government for completing the strategic plan. Thailand is among the first 20 countries to have created such a plan.
He said this could not guarantee the government would be able to handle the influenza crisis effectively, however.
``What we need is national drills for a pandemic response,'' said Dr Prasert. ``Without the drills, this plan will be useless. When the pandemic breaks out, the government's emergency response will end up in a mess.''
An influenza pandemic, if it occurs, would last about 12-18 months and about 10% of the population would be infected.
Dr Prasert, who also took part in drafting the plan, said the government had not paid it enough attention.
``I wonder how many cabinet members read this plan or care to translate it into practice?'' he said.
Dr Prasert said the plan was not the perfect one, but it could mitigate the severity of any pandemic. |
