Bangkok – The Department of Disease Control (DDC) is joining hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc (BDMS) to monitor against public health threats in Bangkok and other urban areas.
A memorandum of cooperation has been inked between DDC Director-General Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai and officials from the BMA’s Health Department and BDMS, with an aim of strengthening disease prevention mechanisms and integrating disease control efforts within major cities across Thailand, especially Bangkok.
Dr Suwanchai pointed out that urban areas in Thailand continue to be under threat by existing infectious diseases such as influenza as well as emerging ones due to the large influx of foreign tourists from the around the world.
In this regard, he said the DDC has introduced a monitoring system for viruses and respiratory diseases in many private hospitals in Bangkok and has engaged in a cooperation project with the Bangkok Health Research Center to compile a record of flu patients receiving treatment at any branches of Bangkok Hospital and their diagnoses in a bid to keep track of flu outbreaks and virus strains.
Under the agreement made with the BMA and BDMS, the DDC Director-General noted that an emphasis will be placed on the effectiveness of their cooperation in terms of research, resource utilization and management for a duration of five years.
