Health dept warns against pets in clinics

The Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) is warning all medical and healthcare facilities to strictly abide by the law governing hygiene standards and stop visitors from bringing their pets when visiting hospitals or clinics.

Many pet owners tend to think their pets are clean and free of diseases that could infect humans, when in reality pets can carry and spread viruses, bacteria, ticks and fleas, all of which can be transferred to people, said Thongchai Keeratihut-tayakorn, a deputy director-general of the DHSS.

Through physical contact with pets, people, especially those who have a weak immune system, could contract a disease and become ill, he said, adding even animal fur can trigger an allergic reaction.

The warning came after a stray dog went into a hospital’s X-ray room in Roi Et and bit a patient.

“Patients visiting a hospital or a clinic are people who usually have lower-thannormal antibody levels, which means they are particularly susceptible to contracting infections and suffering complications,” he said.

So, for the sake of hygiene, all hospitals and clinics are advised to strictly prohibit visitors from bringing along their pets, be they cats, dogs, birds or anything else, he said.

Under Section 34 of the 1998 Health Care Institution Act, all authorised health care facilities are required to ensure high hygiene standards both inside the building and outside, said Akom Pradittasuwan, director of the Bureau of Sanatorium and Healing Arts.

If any health care or medical facilities are suspected of ignoring the pet ban, the owner of the facility could see a team of health officials sent to inspect the place, he said.

A written warning would then be sent to the health care facility requiring it to address the problem within a week, he said, adding that if the same hospital or clinic is found to have failed to ban pets for a second time, tougher legal action will be pursued against it.