Laos, Thailand hold joint drill to cope with bird flu along border

MUKDAHAN, THAILAND, July 29 (TNA) - Laos' Savannakhet Province and Thailand's northeastern Mukdahan Province have organised a joint drill to cope with any possible bird flu outbreak along the border. Friday's joint drill, attended by visiting Savannakhet's authorities and Mukdahan's Acting Public Health Chief Wirut Supakul, was organised at an immigration checkpoint on the 2nd Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge located in Mukdahan's Bang Sai Yai Sub-district. Although there has been no bird flu outbreak along border areas, authorities of both sides have always been prepared to cope with any avian flu outbreak and have conducted such the joint drill annually. Besides, both the neighbouring countries have closely exchanged information and inspected the preparedness of both sides' hospitals to ensure that all are in good place to deal with the situation. After the joint drill, both sides expressed satisfaction with the cooperation. (TNA)