BANGKOK – A Medical Volunteer for Prisoners in Thailand programme has been launched at the time the Corrections Department is closely monitoring the health of prisoners to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Prisons across Thailand have been ordered to monitor the health of prisoners, particularly of the 14 new Chinese inmates admitted this month.
As the Corrections Department opened the volunteer programme on Wednesday, it introduced a mobile medical unit equipped with x-ray system at Bangkok Remand Prison.
The Corrections Department’s Director-General Narat Sawetanan said that the mobile unit had the artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of conducting medical diagnosis for respiratory diseases.
Of about 4,000 inmates at Bangkok Remand Prison, 200 new inmates and those who have respiratory illnesses will be given medical checks.
Narat admitted that respiratory diseases posed great risks for 143 prisons and about 380,000 inmates in Thailand. At the time of the coronavirus outbreak, close surveillance was much needed, he said.
The 14 new Chinese inmates have so far showed no signs of health problems and none of them were from Wuhan city, the outbreak epicenter, said Narat.
Dr. Weerakit Hanparipan, Deputy Director of the Department, said 50 inmates had been selected to the volunteer programme. They would receive basic medical training covering live-saving procedures such as automated electrical defibrillator (AED).
This first group of volunteers would be on duty at seven prisons in Bangkok, he said.
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