Thai private hospitals set to have official standard in coping with MERS-CoV

BANGKOK, June 24 (TNA) - As Thailand's first patient of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been steadily recovering, concerned authorities are checking the readiness of local private hospitals in coping with the fatal virus, requiring that their measures against the deadly virus meet the official standard. Thai Deputy Public Health Minister Dr. Somsak Chunharas inspected Samitivej Hospital on Sukhumvit Road and clinics on Nana Road in Bangkok on Wednesday to see whether the private medical facilities are ready to handle MERS-CoV based on the official standard. The management of all private hospitals and clinics in Thailand, in the meantime, have been instructed to contact the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control, through its hotline numbers 1669 and 1422, to dispatch MERS-CoV patients, if any, to state-run hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health. Executives of all private hospitals and clinics have also been warned of official punishments in case they fail to follow the ministry's instructions. Dr. Apichai Mongkol, Director-General of the ministry's Department of Medical Sciences, told journalists that samples of 20-30 travelers from MERS-CoV-hit South Korea and the Middle East have been sent for tests daily with negative results. Dr. Apichai confirmed that there has been only one MERS-CoV patient in Thailand so far, the 75-year-old Omani man who has been treated at the state-run Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute since late last week. Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute Dr. Jariya Saengsajja told reporters, meanwhile, that the Omani patient has been gradually recovering, changing his postures more frequently and he is able to get up and sit now. According to the director, his lung inflammation has relieved and his blood pressure and pulse have been good, while his three relatives have also had good conditions. The senior health official said if the Omani patient's relatives do not cough and test negative on July 2, when their 14-day standard quarantine ends, they will be discharged from her institute. (TNA)