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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004800

Thammasat needs partners to help secure vaccines supplies: director

After Thammasat University councillors resolved on Monday to source Covid-19 vaccines, the university hospital’s director Dr Pharuhat Tor-Udom said this campaign will be much like the one run by Chulabhorn Royal Academy.

The vaccines imported by the academy are sourced by the Thai Red Cross Society, which has the authority to manage medicines, vaccines and medical supplies as well as contact manufacturers directly.

Other hospitals have also shown interest in importing alternative vaccines that do not duplicate the ones imported by other government agencies like the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.

Dr Pharuhat said Thammasat plans to import generation-2 vaccines to boost immunity and is considering Novavax and Moderna.

However, he said, vaccines are changing almost daily, and some companies will only deal with governments.

Issues like these and limited funding may hamper the university’s efforts to procure vaccines, he said, adding that ideally, it needs a partner to help with the project.

Thammasat is in talks with the University Hospital Network (UHOSNET), royal institutions and associations, including private hospitals, and hopes to secure supplies by next year.

Published : August 18, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004799

Cabinet approves purchase of 30m Pfizer doses for delivery in Q4

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of 9.3 billion baht to purchase 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine due to arrive in late September or early October.

The budget comprises 8.4 billion baht to pay for the doses and 933 million baht for management fees, according to government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.

The Cabinet also ordered the Department of Disease Control to secure another 10 million vaccine doses from Pfizer, to be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year.

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004794

Doctors group to inspect quality of ATKs in ‘suspicious’ procurement deal

The Rural Doctors Society has declared that it will thoroughly inspect the quality of Chinese rapid antigen test kits (ATKs) controversially purchased by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO).

If the Covid-19 test kits were found to be substandard, someone must be held responsible, it said.

The GPO announced recently it was going ahead with its plan to purchase 8.5 million ATK sets made by Beijing Lepu Medical Technology and imported by Ostland Capital. The importer won the bidding at 70 baht per kit despite news that the Lepu ATKs were banned in the United States for producing a high rate of false-positive results.

Rural Doctors Society president Dr Suphat Hasuwannakit said on Tuesday that the procurement deal for the ATKs was highly suspicious, despite an assurance from the Public Health Ministry that the Lepu kits meet sensitivity and specificity standards.

“The Society wants to make sure that taxpayer’s money was spent wisely and that Thai people and front-line medics will not have to rely on low-quality kits in time of crisis,” he commented on Facebook on Tuesday.

“We will perform thorough quality tests on these kits as soon as they are distributed to medical units. The 60 teams of medical experts under the Society and its partners are standing ready to put these kits to the test. If they turn out to be of low quality, someone must be held responsible.”

Published : August 17, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004793

Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) opened a new community isolation centre at Bang Sue Grand Station in Chatuchak district on Tuesday.

This is the district’s third community isolation centre for Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms, said Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang.

He said the new centre can accommodate 400 patients – 200 men and 200 women.

He added that Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital is responsible for care of patients while the Digital Economy and Society Ministry provided the centre’s internet system.

The centre was equipped with a patient-screening point, food and drinks service, security system, restrooms and waste management system, he explained.

“Necessities prepared for patients include bedding, mosquito nets, towels, shower cream, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, face masks and hand sanitising gel,” he added.

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Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

The BMA has launched 69 community isolation centres across the capital to accommodate 9,190 patients. Seven centres have been upgraded to “community isolation-plus” facilities to accommodate 990 patients with moderate symptoms.

Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

The BMA has also set up 28 semi-community isolation centres to accommodate 1,487 patients.

Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

Separately, 64 waiting areas have capacity for 8,322 patients, while field hospitals and hospitels can accommodate 3,706 patients.

Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

Bangkok logged 4,397 new cases and 79 deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Bang Sue Grand Station opens 400-bed isolation centre as Bangkok cases surge

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004792

Massage parlour, spa businesses sue govt for THB200 million in lost earnings

More than 100 spa and massage parlour owners filed a lawsuit against the government on Tuesday and are demanding 200 million baht in compensation.

The lawsuit filed with the Civil Court said spa and massage businesses are the first to be closed every time there is a lockdown, and so far nothing has been done to compensate them for lost earnings. 

Three Move Forward Party MPs and a team of lawyers accompanied the spa and massage parlour owners to the court in Bangkok’s Ratchadapisek area. 

Pitak Yotha, president of the Jarawi Association for the Conservation of Thai Massage, said it is unfair to categorise spas and massage parlours as risky establishments because no clusters or even individual infections have been found in any outlets. 
The group is also demanding 200 million baht in compensation because the government has not offered any help so far. 

Sirikanya Tansakun, deputy leader of the Move Forward Party who helped file the case, said this would be the first “class action” civil lawsuit to be ever filed in Thailand. 

“I want this case to be historic – one that forces the government to take responsibility for the citizens’ well-being and damages these entrepreneurs are suffering. It has been over a year, and the government has offered no compensation to this sector. Now we must rely on the court to determine how much damage has been caused by this government during the pandemic. This lawsuit is the first in a long line of lawsuits from other groups like restaurants and bars,” the MP said.

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Massage parlour, spa businesses sue govt for THB200 million in lost earningsMassage parlour, spa businesses sue govt for THB200 million in lost earnings

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004790

Pharmacies, online vendors in trouble for jacking up prices of test kits, Fah Talai Jone

The Commerce Ministry will take legal action against 22 vendors for allegedly jacking up the price of Fah Talai Jone (Andrographis Paniculata) capsules and antigen test kits.

The vendors will face up to seven years in prison and/or 140,000 baht in fine, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said.

Of the 22 facing action, two were on Shopee and seven on Lazada.

“Seven vendors were selling a bottle of 60 ‘Abhaibhubejhr’ Fah Talai Jone capsules for between 325 baht and 499 baht when the actual bottle costs just 80 baht,” Jurin said.

“Two vendors were caught selling 60-capsule bottles of ‘Phytocare’ brand of Fah Talai Jone at 369 to 399 baht, which is far more expensive than its original price of 75 baht,” he said.

He also said that a pharmacy in Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district was caught selling antigen test kits for a higher price.

“The price of antigen test kits is 300 baht, but this pharmacy was charging 380 baht,” he said.

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Pharmacies, online vendors in trouble for jacking up prices of test kits, Fah Talai JonePeople can report cases of jacked-up prices by calling the 1569 Commerce Ministry hotline or contacting provincial commercial offices.

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004788

Thailand’s tourist sandbox expands to cover more destinations

An announcement on the government website on Monday says that foreigners arriving in Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox scheme can travel between Phuket and certain destinations in Surat Thani, Krabi and Phang Nga.

The destinations covered in this project include:
• Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao in Surat Thani,
• Koh Phi Phi, Koh Ngai and Railay Beach in Krabi,
• Khao Lak, Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai in Phang Nga.

Under the Phuket Sandbox, fully inoculated foreigners who test negative for Covid-19 can arrive in Phuket and move around freely for 14 days. If all their subsequent Covid-19 tests come out negative, they can travel to other provinces in Thailand.

From July 1, when the project kicked off, until August 14, Phuket has welcomed 20,727 tourists, 57 of whom tested positive for Covid-19 and seven have recovered.
Official figures show that Phuket earned 829 million baht in revenue in July alone.

Meanwhile, most of the 29,700 foreigners who have cancelled their trip say they find the mandatory 14-day stay in Phuket too long and too expensive.

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004787

Phetchabun governor dismisses rumours of infection cluster

Residents of Phetchabun province began panicking after learning that 10 of the 6,000 or so elderly and vulnerable people who had received their Covid-19 jab last Thursday had tested positive.

However, provincial governor Krit Kongmuang dismissed the rumour, saying only the assistant village headman who had been driving people to the vaccination site, his wife and son had tested positive for Covid-19.

Another 20 people who had been in contact with the driver have also been told to isolate themselves and will undergo Covid-19 tests within seven days.

The assistant village headman and his wife had both received Sinovac as their first shot and AstraZeneca as their second.

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Phetchabun governor dismisses rumours of infection clusterMeanwhile, a Phetchabun doctor attacked the media for reporting that having thousands of people queue up for their Covid-19 vaccine would spark a new cluster of infections. Her Facebook post attracted many comments both agreeing and disagreeing with her.

Phetchabun governor dismisses rumours of infection cluster

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004786

Khao Yai closes 2 key attractions over rainy season

Khao Yai National Park has closed its two main attractions – the Haew Narok Waterfall and the Pa Deo Dai cliff viewpoint – because they are dangerous during the rainy season.

Khao Yai, which is about a three-hour drive from Bangkok, is one of the few national parks in Thailand that has remained open during the Covid-19 crisis. However, it has kept some tourist points closed to reduce the risk of infection.

The national park now only allows day trips from 8am to 6pm and visitors are required to always wear facemasks.

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Khao Yai closes 2 key attractions over rainy seasonKhao Yai closes 2 key attractions over rainy seasonKhao Yai closes 2 key attractions over rainy season

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004785

Nakhon Si Thammarat doctor quits after sneaking Pfizer shot for her sister

A doctor at a state hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat has resigned after she was caught giving her sister a Pfizer shot, the provincial public health office announced on Monday.

Provincial public health Dr Charaspong Sukkri and the director of Noppitum Hospital held a press conference on Monday to clarify the incident. 
The doctor had allegedly invited her family members to the hospital on Friday to get Pfizer shots. Her resignation is currently being considered by the provincial governor. 

The doctor admitted that she had given her sister the seventh remaining dose in the vial. Each vial of the Pfizer vaccine can provide six doses, but a seventh dose can be drawn out using the low dead space syringe method.  

The doctor’s mother and other relatives did not get a jab because a hospital staff reported the incident to the hospital director who immediately issued an order banning Pfizer jabs from being given to anyone other than frontline medics. 

The hospital has also set up a committee to investigate the case and determine disciplinary action. 

“The Pfizer vaccine is only meant for frontline medical personnel. As chief of the Nakhon Si Thammarat public health office, I apologise to everybody for what has happened,” Dr Charaspong said.

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Nakhon Si Thammarat doctor quits after sneaking Pfizer shot for her sister

Published : August 17, 2021

By : The Nation