The Public Health Ministry has ordered public hospitals nationwide to go on full alert to cope with an expected influx of accident victims during Songkran.
A Land Transport Department official conducts an alcohol test on an interprovincial bus driver at Mor Chit bus terminal. The department kicked off a Songkran holiday road safety campaign Tuesday. PORNPROM SATTRABHAYA
Hospital readiness is one of the two main measures the Public Health Ministry is implementing to try and curb the usually high number of casualties that result from Songkran road accidents, Deputy Public Health Minister Cholanan Srikaew said Tuesday.
The other is the strict enforcement of alcohol laws.
Dr Cholanan said he has asked more than 10,000 public hospitals nationwide to double the number of their medical staff - doctors in emergency rooms, surgeons and nurses - during the festival.
The hospitals have also been asked to prepare emergency rooms, make more beds available and stock up on blood supplies during the holiday period.
At present, the ministry has a total of 12,691 emergency teams with 122,945 staff members, and 14,189 ambulances, Dr Cholanan said.
People can telephone the 1669 hotline and emergency teams will be at accident scenes within 10 minutes, he said.
All hospitals would provide free treatment in emergency cases regardless of the patients' healthcare schemes, he said.
Patients are only required to show their ID card when seeking treatment.
Pairoj Bunsirikhamchai, deputy secretary-general of the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand, yesterday said the institute is working with several agencies to ensure 1,128 boats, 101 helicopters and seven planes are on hand to help accident victims during the festival.
Permanent secretary for public health Narong Sahamethapat said the ministry will strictly enforce the 2008 Alcohol Beverage Control Act, which prohibits the sale of alcohol to people under age 20.
The law also prohibits the sale of alcohol at petrol stations, public parks and during specified hours.
The ministry will also enforce the prime minister's regulation issued last year banning drinking alcohol in vehicles, Dr Narong said.
