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Thailand Sends Medical Team to Aid Myanmar Earthquake Victims

Thailand Sends Medical Team to Aid Myanmar Earthquake Victims

Provided by Nation.

First wave of emergency responders dispatched to Mandalay following Naypyidaw's appeal for assistance

 

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has deployed its first team of emergency medical specialists and support staff to Mandalay, Myanmar, to help those affected by the recent earthquake. 

 

The 30-strong unit, a Type 1 Fixed Emergency Medical Team (EMT), is the first of four such teams that will rotate weekly to provide sustained assistance in the disaster-stricken region.

 

The deployment follows an assessment by Thai experts who accompanied a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Myanmar.

 

Their findings highlighted a significant need for medical care for the injured in Mandalay, prompting the Thai government to respond to Naypyidaw's request for international aid.

 



 

The medical team was seen off today (12th April, 2025) at Wing 6 Air Force Base in Don Mueang, Bangkok, by Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, representing Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, and other senior officials.

 

Dr Opas explained that the initial assessment team confirmed a large number of earthquake victims in Mandalay requiring urgent medical attention.
  

Consequently, the Ministry of Public Health was tasked with assembling and dispatching the EMT teams and their support personnel. 

 



 

The Thailand EMT Type 1 Fixed unit is described as highly capable and self-sufficient, able to operate effectively in disaster zones. They are equipped to establish a field hospital for outpatient care, manage emergency cases from initial triage through to critical treatment without needing local resources, care for chronic patients unable to reach hospitals, and ensure the safe transfer of patients requiring further hospitalisation.

 

Dr Opas further detailed the four-week mission, involving four separate EMT teams. The initial 30-person team is headed by Vichai Chaimongkol, advisor to the Minister of Public Health, and Dr Pongsadhorn Pokpermdee, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, as the overall mission leaders.
  



 

The medical operations on the ground will be led by Dr Narumon Suwanpanyalert, a senior medical expert and head of the Medical Emergency Group at the Department of Medical Services. This first team will be in place from 12th to 18th April, 2025, with subsequent teams rotating in weekly intervals until 9th May, 2025.

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