And sew it has come to this...senior exec pitches in to tackle shortage

And sew it has come to this...senior exec pitches in to tackle shortage

A senior executive at a Bangkok hospital has decided to roll up his sleeves and dedicate his free time to making face masks -- an essential item that is still in short supply -- for health personnel battling the coronavirus.

In an image widely circulated on social media, Piyavate Hospital deputy chief executive officer, Chuchai Sornchumni, was seen sitting behind a sewing machine helping hospital staff.

The former deputy secretary-general of the National Health Security Office has remained humble, earning him praise from social media users.

A stitch in time: Dr Chuchai Sornchumni, deputy chief executive officer of Piyavate Hospital, sews a face mask as part of a project to alleviate the shortage of masks for health personnel.

"Please see me as an ordinary doctor. I'm not better than the others," he wrote on his Facebook account. Dr Chuchai said he just wanted to help society at a time when "our health system is fighting a global pandemic war".

Doctors and other health personnel are in desperate need of face masks to shield themselves from Covid-19 as more patients are being sent to hospital for testing or treatment.

There are shortages at both public and private hospitals as people stock up on masks in the hope of reducing their chances of being infected.

The government's response last week was to set up a new "national centre" to ensure mask supplies are adequate. It will be run by bureaucrats from both the Public Health and Commerce ministries.

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