Thailand on high alert against dengue fever

BANGKOK, June 13 (TNA) - All public health offices and hospitals throughout Thailand have been instructed to beef up measures to effectively prevent, contain and diagnose dengue fever cases in their respective areas. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Sophon Mekthon told journalists on June 12 that he has issued the order after realising that there have been a total of over 18,000 dengue fever cases nationwide over the past 22 weeks, 16 of whom have died. Dr. Sophon stressed that to bring the mosquito-borne deadly disease under control during the ongoing rainy season, he has ordered public health offices and hospitals nationwide to strictly implemented three measures, including prevention to reduce the number of patients, control to ease spreading of the disease and precise diagnosis and screening of suspected dengue fever cases for timely medical treatment and the least loss of patients' lives. Dr. Sophon quoted official statistics of the Thai Vector-borne Disease Office under his ministry's Department of Disease Control as reporting that there had been 18,337 dengue fever patients nationwide during January 1-June 7, 2016, most of whom, or 8,107, were in the central region, followed by 4,878 in the Thai Northeast, 2,567 in the Thai North and 2,785 in the Thai South. According to the senior Thai health authority, the number of dengue fever cases was about 14 per cent year-on-year lower than last year, but the death toll was higher than 11 cases recorded nationwide last year. (TNA)