Thai government to provide help to haze victims

BANGKOK, Oct 23 (TNA) -- The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said it is ready to provide assistance to smog victims, while the Public Health Ministry has ordered to all concerned hospitals to closely monitor the health of local people. Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paojinda said that Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha has ordered his ministry to task the disaster prevention and mitigation department and Local Administration Organisation to mobilise equipment and tools in order to alleviate the haze situation as soon as possible, particularly in villages, where local residents would be given more face masks and authorities would spray water into the location to help ease the blanketing smog. Schools situated in areas that has the level of Pollution Standard Index (PSI) higher than 350 microgrammes per cubic metre, would also be allowed to temporary close the schools as the schools heads see fit, said the minister, adding that the provinces of Surat Thani, Songkhla, Satun, and Pattani remained to be covered with haze. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department Director General Chatchai Promlert said smog situation in the southern region has started to subside, especially in Songkhla province. However, he said, the problem is uncontrolable, as the haze is blown into the country with the winds, noting that the best course for the problem is to be mitigate it, so that the people would be affected as little as possible. Education Minister Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan, on the other hand, said that the haze is not really affecting any schools in the area, as the first school term has just ended and the students are currently on school holidays, apart from small groups of children which are taking extra classes. Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, meanwhile, pointed out that he has given the order for all concerned hospitals to tale good care of the people in their respective areas, as well as provide knowledge for the people on how to properly protect themselves against the smog, along with providing face masks and prepare to handle an increasing number of respiratory patients, as Thailand could not solve the haze problem at the main cause. (TNA)