Pollution clinics to be opened in dust-affected Thai provinces

BANGKOK, March 18 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Public Health, plans to open pollution clinics in all haze or hazardous dust-affected Thai provinces to give proper advice and updated information to people on how to prevent and protect themselves from the air pollution. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Sukhum Kanchanapimai announced the plan while chairing a video conference on Monday to follow up and discuss the situation of the haze and the hazardous dust in Thailand's northern and northeastern regions among public health authorities in the affected zones. Dr. Sukhum also ordered all the haze or hazardous dust-affected provinces to open emergency operational centers for public health and medical services and actions to deal with the problem. The senior official also suggested the public health authorities to accelerate launching public relations (PR) campaigns to create the awareness and proper understanding among people in their respective areas on the strict enforcement of public health and disaster prevention and mitigation bills that ban people from causing pollution and forest fires, as well as conducting outdoor burning. The senior official conceded that there are several areas in the Thai North and Northeast where the problem of the hazardous dust or the particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers in diameter per cubic meter (PM2.5) remains critical, instructing local public health authorities to closely monitor the updated situation and timely provide support for people in their respective areas, especially those of such risk groups as children, the elderly, pregnant women and patients of respiratory, heart, eye, skin and vascular diseases. Meanwhile, Dr Kachornsak Kaewcharas, Deputy Director-General of the ministry's Department of Disease Control, pointed out that the smog problem in Greater Bangkok was found to have been mostly caused by the PM2.5 dust, while the problem in provincial areas, especially those in the Thai North and Northeast was found to have been cause by outdoor burning activities and the wildfire haze. Dr. Kachornsak stated that there were up to 22,000 patients of respiratory, heart, eye, skin and vascular diseases reported in eight northern Thai provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Lamphun and Lampang during March 3-9, 2019 alone, the situation of which needs a close watch and the urgent solution. (TNA)