Health Minister pushes safety
Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew was treated to a safety response extravaganza at Patong Beach last Sunday (Mar 24) before officially launching the “Phuket Island Safety Sandbox” scheme in the hope of assuring tourists that Phuket is a safe place to holiday.
At Patong Beach, Dr Cholnan watched a surf life saving demonstration, replicating the rescue of a tourist from the water and the tourist being revived on the sand.
He was also treated to a demonstration of an appropriate medical response to a tourist being injured in a fall from a parasail ride, unlike the experience a Chinese tourist suffered at Karon Beach just last month. Among the key concerns to the Chinese woman’s treatment was that she was told she would have to wait two hours for an ambulance to arrive due to traffic.
After the beach response demonstrations, Dr Cholnan spoke with lifeguards at Patong Beach, and met with local health workers.
Dr Cholnan also spoke with several parasail and jet-ski operators at the beach, and watched a demonstration of a woman being vaccinated against influenza, held as a way of promoting the Ministry of Health campaign in Phuket to offer free vaccinations for four strains of influenza to people working in the tourism industry.
Following the Patong safety promotion event, Dr Cholnan moved to Dragon Plaza at Queen Sirikit Park, where he officially launched the “Phuket Island Safety Sandbox” campaign.
Joining Dr Cholnan for his visit to Phuket and the launch were a host of senior officials, including, Ministry of Public Health Permanent Secretary Opas Karikawinpong and Department of Disease Control Director General Thongchai Keeratihatthayakorn.
Leading the representatives for Phuket at the launch were Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO), joined by scores of other officials and health ministry workers.
Also joining the officialdom extravaganza were Niti Hetanurak, Deputy DirectorGeneral of the Department of Disease Control; Darinda Rosa, Acting Director of the Disease Prevention and Control Region 11 Office in Nakhon Sri Thammarat; and Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Kusak Kukiattikoon.
Phuket was the first province to launch the ‘Safety Sandbox’ initiative, Dr Cholnan explained, adding that Phuket was “to be piloted as a disease and health hazard-free tourist city to build confidence among tourists”.
“[Phuket] is a pilot province for tourist areas to be free from disease and health hazards; the first of its kind in Thailand in 31 provinces nationwide,” Dr Cholnan said.
“Phuket is moving forward with the safe tourist policy, holding the ‘Phuket Island Safety Sandbox’ activity to enhance tourism potential, to stimulate the economy, create the well-being of the people in the country,” said an official report of the event.
“The tourism sector is considered a strong point that can generate a large amount of income into the country. In 2023, there will be income from both Thai and foreign tourists of more than B2.1 trillion,” Dr Cholnan said.
“In 2023, Phuket generated income of about B388 billion, ranking the province second in the country after Bangkok,” he added.
“The government under the leadership of Mr Settha Thavisin, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, therefore has a policy to push for generating income from tourism, which the Ministry of Public Health has established as a policy of ‘Tourists are safe’,” Dr Cholnan noted..
The campaign includes ensuring that hotels comply with “GREEN” health, hygiene and safety standards, and somehow for tap water at hotels to be safe to drink, Dr Cholnan said, according to the official report.
The Ministry of Health policy apparently also includes ensuring that local community hospitals are upgraded in order to provide a higher level of treatment and services, and for a “One Region One Sky Doctor (OROS)” service to be available.
Another aim is for every District Office to ensure food outlets in their area are all inspected and comply with Ministry of Public Health food hygiene regulations.
At the event at Queen Sirikit Park, Dr Chonnan presented certificates to officials from 18 local government organisations and three District Offices for working together to make Phuket the first rabies-free province in the country.
An exhibition on display promoted the work done by officials in achieving the goal, including the Phuket Livestock Office, and marked special efforts by Phuket’s renowned Soi Dog Foundation.
After the official proceedings had concluded, Dr Cholnan and his entourage enjoyed a walk along the Lard Yai Walking Street market in the Phuket Old Town area.