Health officials are working to ensure that more than 200 patients with kidney problems in flooded districts of Yasothon will not miss their dialysis treatments.
Heavy flooding has prevented delivery of supplies to five districts — Kut Chum, Loeng Nok Tha, Sai Mun, Thai Charoen and Pa Tiu — where there are 231 patients with kidney problems, said Sakchai Kanchanawattana, secretary-general of the National Health Security Office (NHSO).
He said the supplies are enough for one week and the NHSO is coordinating closely with concerned parties to make sure that they can be delivered to patients’ houses in time.
Meanwhile, residents in seven central provinces are being told to brace for runoff after authorities at the Chao Phraya dam upstream adjusted its water release on Friday morning, said Thongplew Kongchan, head of the Royal Irrigation Department (RID).
Mr Thongplew said people in Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya and Lop Buri should prepare for possible flooding with water expected to be 40-50cm deep in low-lying areas.
Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said the Department of Agricultural Extension would assess damages caused to farmland after the water recedes and propose rehabilitation measures. Twelve provinces, mostly in the Northeast, remain flooded, with Ubon Ratchathani receiving overwhelming water from other provinces before it flowed into the Mekong River.
Chayaphol Nitisak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said that about 3,400 people were evacuated in Amnat Charoan, Ubon Ratchathani and Yasothon.
In Ubon Ratchathani, 22 districts were flooded as large volumes of water flowed in from various rivers. The water was converging in the Mun River before entering the Mekong River in Khong Chiam district of Ubon Ratchathani. Meanwhile, water from Phichit and Phetchabun flowed into Nakhon Sawan.
The Meteorological Department said heavy rain would continue in the Northeast, the North and the western coast of the South on Friday before easing from Saturday until Wednesday.