At Ministry of Public Health’s COVID-19 Information Operation Center, Nonthaburi province, Deputy Minister of Public Health Sathit Pitutecha disclosed that it is heartening to hear that the number of new COVID-19-infected patients has continued to decline, which is partly because of the prompt screening and treatment process of the high-risk groups. According to the Deputy Minister, this is thanks to over 1,040,000 village health volunteers and over 15,000 Bangkok health volunteers who have worked very hard in collaboration with local officials to literally knock the door of almost 12 million households in a bid to reiterate the importance of social distancing, provide knowledge and information regarding preventive measures and self-screening, and search for and put 2,266 high-risk people into the screening and treatment system. Their endeavors have been recognized at the global level by the World Health Organization (WHO), who commended that the Thai village health volunteers have set an example for several countries across the world as the unsung heroes who help fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
At the next stage, the role of village health volunteers will focus on the high-risk group, and will work together with sub-district healthcare facilities to ensure efficiency of disease control and prevention. The Deputy Minister, on behalf of Ministry of Public Health, expressed appreciation and moral support toward all the village health volunteers nationwide. Since the fight against COVID-19 is not yet over, they are urged to continue to keep their guard up.
The Deputy Minister also mentioned about Thai traditional masseurs, who have not been included under the Government’s 5,000-Baht cash subsidy, that the Health Service Support Department has been assigned to collaborate with Ministry of Finance’s Fiscal Policy Office on the matter in a bid to promptly alleviate the plight of Thai traditional masseurs. At present, there are approximately 140,000 people who have registered with the Department to claim for financial aid rights. – April 14, 2020 (Thaigov.go.th)