The Permanent Secretary for Public Health has substituted Samut Sakhon’s public health officer with a counterpart from Phang Nga, to further specialize the response to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the province.
Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit has issued an order to switch Samut Sakhon Public Health Officer Dr. Chatchai Kitiyanant with Phang Nga Public Health Officer Dr. Naresrit Kadthasima, effectively immediately.
Dr. Naresrit specializes in epidemiology and is expected to apply his expertise in handling COVID-19 in Samut Sakhon.
Further plans have been made to setup field hospitals at the province’s central shrimp market and a separate space for COVID-19 patients from the general population. Some 500 beds will be available between the two locations, one of which is at the Srimuang dormitory.
A system for safeguarding physicians and medical workers at the field hospitals is being prepared.
Testing for COVID-19 was initially focused on visitors to the central shrimp market and has expanded in the second phase to those within a two-kilometer radius, with 4,000-5,000 people to be tested. Some 250,000 migrant workers are estimated to be in the province, they are to be tested in two shifts each day using medical workers from eight neighboring provinces. (NNT)
