A local health volunteer in Mae Hong Son is calling on provincial authorities to send medical supplies and other assistance following a Covid-19 outbreak in border communities.
Pongpipat Meebenjamas, a health volunteer in the civil sector, said the virus outbreak had erupted in Sop Moei district with more than 100 people testing positive for Covid-19 using antigen test kits.
He said the tambon administrative organisation has limited resources to take care of the patients and communities need help from the province to treat the sick and contain the virus to prevent the system overloading.
Currently they have been left to fend for themselves, he said.
"We're concerned about the elderly and children, and in some families every one is infected.
"An infected mother has to tend to her two-year-old child who also has Covid-19," he said.
He said that due to the outbreak all communities in tambon Sam Laep are under lockdown and the residents are in need of essential supplies.
Mr Pongpipat also criticised provincial authorities for including the positive results from the antigen tests in the province's official Covid-19 infection-rate.
"Travel is being hampered by rain and it is too much burden for the villagers to travel to a district hospital get standard RT-PCR tests to confirm the results," he said.
Mr Pongpipat insisted that more testing is required to prevent further transmission.