Toon Bodyslam will start another 5km charity run on Sunday to raise 4 million baht for a hospital in Pattani province urgently in need of X-Ray machines.
Charnchai Baomongkol, an adviser to Toon's Kao Khon La Kao project, said on Saturday the “Long Run 2018” would mobilise funds for Mai Kaen Hospital in the restive southernmost province, which urgently needs X-Ray machines to replace their malfunctioned ones.
“We won’t use the donations raised last year for the hospital because the objectives are different,” he said.
The run will take place at Wachirabenchathat Park, formerly known as the State Railway Public Park, in Chatuchak district in Bangkok.
Athiwara Kongmalai, popularly known as "Toon Bodyslam" after his nickname and his rock band, started the 2,191km South-North run in November. He reached the finishing line after 55 days.
The first batch of 1.3 billion baht of the donations he received along the way and through various channels will be given to 11 state hospitals to buy equipment and medical supplies on Sunday afternoon, Mr Charnchai said.
In deciding the beneficiaries for the 2017 run, Toon had focused mostly on “centre hospitals”, those designated by the Public Health Ministry as the centres for smaller medical facilities in nearby provinces to send complicated cases to.
Of the 11 facilities, army-run Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok received the largest portion of 220 million baht, followed by Khon Kaen Hospital (143 million), Surat Thani Hospital (136.5 million), Ratchaburi Hospital (130 million), Chiang Rai Pracha Nukroh (110.5 million) and Saraburi Hospital (104 million).
The remaining five hospitals -- Yala Hospital, Chaophraya Yommarat Hospital in Suphan Buri, Chaopraya Abhaiphubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri, Nakornping Hospital in Chiang Mai and Nan Hospital -- receive 91 million baht each.
“Each hospital has different use of the funds. For example, the Phramongkutklao Hospital will buy medical equipment for its emergency units while the Chiang Rai Prachanukroh will use it to improve its referral system for accident cases and install telemedicine systems in its ambulances," Mr Charnchai said.
The 2017 project still accepts donations until May 31, when it distributes the remaining funds. As of Saturday, it raised 1.38 billion baht, including the 1.3 billion to be handed out on Sunday.
The project’s staff also plan to follow up on the spending at each hospital to ensure the funds are well spent, he said.