Health Ministry ramps up medical preparedness along Thai-Cambodian border

Thailand's Health Ministry strengthens medical response, stockpiles supplies and prepares evacuation centres across 7 border provinces.

The Ministry of Public Health is taking proactive measures to ensure medical readiness along the Thai-Cambodian border, with hospitals and evacuation centres in seven provinces preparing for any emergency situation.

Following Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's visit to Ubon Ratchathani and discussions with governors of the border provinces, the Ministry of Public Health has been instructed to ensure that hospitals and medical personnel are ready to handle large-scale emergencies, including natural disasters or military conflicts.

On Saturday, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin emphasised the importance of readiness, urging hospitals along the border to ensure sufficient stocks of medical supplies, patient beds, and evacuation plans. He highlighted the need for psychological support for affected citizens, noting that hospitals already have disaster or war preparedness plans in place.

The key area of concern is Ubon Ratchathani, which has set up 70 evacuation centres across 18 districts to accommodate up to 80,000 people. Medical personnel will be assigned based on the size of each centre. For smaller centres (S) housing up to 1,000 evacuees, two registered nurses and one health official will be assigned. Larger centres (M) with 1,000 to 1,500 evacuees will have two to three registered nurses and two health officials, while L centres with 1,500-2,000 evacuees will have five medical personnel.

The Ministry will also deploy 129 ambulances across four zones to support patient evacuation. In addition, two teams of Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERT) will be stationed at the provincial level, consisting of three doctors, 20 nurses, and 15 emergency medical staff. Mini-MERT teams, with five members each, will also be available at 25 sites.

To address mental health needs, Ubon Ratchathani has planned 70 Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams (MCATT), each consisting of one or two members to support every evacuation centre.

The region's medical stockpile is prepared to last one month in case of emergencies, with enough blood supplies for 4-5 days. Each of the seven border provinces has developed similar plans.

Somsak noted that the Prime Minister is deeply concerned about the welfare of the people in the border areas. The government has stressed the importance of readiness while hoping that the situation will resolve peacefully to minimise injuries and loss of life. He also thanked medical personnel and all officials involved in the efforts, encouraging everyone to remain strong and work towards restoring peace.

(2025/06/21-00:00)