Drowning number one cause of death among Thai children

BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) -- The drowning was the top cause of death among Thai children, prompting the Ministry of Public Health to promote prevention against drowning amid families during the upcoming summer holidays, with an aim to lower the statistics. Director-General of the Disease Control Department Dr Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk said that drowning is the number one cause of death for Thai children, with a total of 699 children under 15 years old reported to have died of drowning last year. Out of number, around 197 had drowned during the 3-month long summer holidays or between March and May, said Dr Jedsada, noting although the number of drowning children had decreased in the past decade, the ministry is not satisfied with the figure. Since children are killed by drowning every year, the ministry has set the first Saturday in March as the Child Drowning Prevention Campaign Day, targeting to lower the number of children under the age of 15 killed by drowning to only five persons per 100,000 children or lower than 600 children per year. The ministry said that for parents to properly prevent drowning at home, container which could up to 1-2 inches of water should be covered or poured out, and ensuring that small children are watched at all times. As for the older kids, local medical clinic should be able to provide correct and proper first aid assistance to drowning children, while the local communities must play a big role to create awareness among their own respective community, such as put up warning signs and/or provide rescuing equipment at risk areas. (TNA)