Nakhon Ratchasima: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation assured yesterday it has prepared emergency medical services for New Year revellers who may face sudden illness or injuries while visiting national parks across the country.
The measure is aimed to ensure that ill and injured visitors will get on-time and basic medical treatment to limit losses, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Surasak Kanjanarat said yesterday.
Gen Surasak was speaking while presiding over an emergency situation drill event at Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.
Department officials demonstrated first-aid treatment in the event of a plane crash inside Khao Yai National Park. A rescue team came to the scene to save passengers' lives in accordance with emergency medicine practices.
"The safety of tourists is the ministry's top priority as there are many cases of injured tourists inside national parks, leading the ministry to realise the importance of first-aid treatment which is key to limit unnecessary losses," said Gen Surasak.
The department has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Institute for Emergency Medicine for first-aid medical treatment training for 500 forest staff at all 154 national parks countrywide, expecting to raise the number to 1,500 by next year.
Gen Surasak said the department has provided 30 mobile clinics to 30 national parks, including Ao Phang Nga National Park in Phangnga, Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai and Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei. "We are happy that our forest staff can do their best job to save tourists," he said.
"It is something special beyond our main responsibility to save the forest. Now we have another crucial job to save tourists' lives. We will do more by providing helicopter medical units to help people in case of an emergency."
The department has set up tourist rescue centres in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Chiang Mai, Thung Saleng Luang National Park in Phitsanulok, Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima, Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi, Koh Chang National Park in Trat, Sirinart National Park in Phuket and Tarutao National Park in Satun.
Songtham Suksawang, director of the National Park Office, said the department has tried its best to take care of 18 million visitors to the parks.