BANGKOK – A shortage of face masks due to the COVID-19 outbreak has affected healthcare workers in hospitals around the country. The health ministry is working together with the commerce ministry to deliver medical masks to those institutions in urgent need.
Siriraj hospital in Bangkok, the largest public hospital in Thailand, was on the top on the list, receiving an early delivery of 60,000 face masks from the government’s face mask distribution center which is jointly managed by the two relevant agencies, the public health and the commerce ministries.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit announced that each day, the center has 1.2 million face masks for distribution.
The health ministry’s food and drug administration, receives 700,000 masks for daily distribution to medical institutions, and the commerce ministry’s internal trade department receives 500,000 masks a day for the general public. The demand for face masks in each area is evaluated daily, and the management is equipped to handle a real time situation.
Siriraj Hospital director Visit Vamvanit, said today the hospital needs 100,000 face masks per day as the daily number of people working and visiting the hospital, including staff, medical students and patients, is approximately 15,000. The hospital’s face mask stock is now critical. It would be enough for only three weeks.
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