Well public awareness in reduced use of plastic bags in Thailand

BANGKOK, June 19 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health reports that the use of plastic bags for patients' medicines and other pharmaceutical items at government-run hospitals have been reduced by about 87 per cent during the first six months of the 2019 fiscal year, thanks to the well public awareness and participation in the move. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Sukhum Kanchanapimai told journalists of the update on Wednesday, proclaiming his ministry's successful initiative on helping ease the problem of global warming or climate change through the move, in which all government-run hospitals have been ordered to stop the use of plastic bags and to ask patients and their relatives to bring cloth bags or baskets to take home their medicines and other pharmaceutical items prescribed by doctors instead. Dr. Sukhum stressed that during the first six months of the 2019 fiscal year, or from October 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, purchase orders for plastic bags by Thai government-run hospitals plunged by about 87 per cent year-on-year, or over 344,000 kilograms, saving his ministry's budget by over 24 million baht. Dr. Sukhum acknowledged that up to 90 per cent of patients at the government-run hospitals have expressed their satisfaction with and willingness to continue participating with the move. The senior official stated that his ministry will soon expand the campaigning move to community hospitals nationwide, saying that the money saved from the purchase of plastic bags will be used for the development of public services and facilities at all government-run and community hospitals in Thailand. (TNA)