Public Health Ministry rolls out health plan for evacuees returning from Middle East
Thai health authorities say screening, mental health support, and referral hospitals are in place at Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao to support nationals returning amid rising Middle East tensions.
- The Public Health Ministry has created a healthcare plan for Thai evacuees returning from the Middle East due to heightened regional tensions.
- The plan involves coordination between multiple government ministries and focuses on physical health, mental health, and screening for communicable diseases.
- Returnees will undergo mandatory health screenings at designated airports, including Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao.
- After initial screening, evacuees will be referred to hospitals if injured or ill, receive mental health support, and then be connected with other agencies for social assistance and travel to their home provinces.
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said on Sunday (March 1) that amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed all ministries to prepare.
In the case of the Ministry of Public Health, it has been closely monitoring the situation and has already drawn up a healthcare plan for possible overseas emergencies.
The ministry will coordinate with embassies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior to assess the severity of events to determine the appropriate form of assistance under three mission frameworks: coordinating international care, including a Telemedicine system; caring for returnees in terms of physical health, mental health and communicable diseases; and arranging receiving and referral hospitals for both physical and mental health.
Dr Somruek Chungsaman, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said preparedness for any situation that may arise will follow the approach previously used in 2023, as follows:
- Physical health screening: the Department of Medical Services will oversee Don Mueang Airport and Wing 6, Don Mueang (Royal Thai Air Force); the Samut Prakan Provincial Public Health Office will oversee Suvarnabhumi Airport; and the Rayong Provincial Public Health Office will oversee U-Tapao Airport.
- Disease screening: the international communicable disease control checkpoints will oversee all three airports, and the Office of Disease Prevention and Control 6 will oversee U-Tapao Airport.
- Mental health screening: The Department of Mental Health will oversee all three airports, and Mental Health Centre 6 will oversee U-Tapao Airport.
- Receiving and referral hospitals: medical facilities under the Department of Medical Services and the Department of Mental Health.
- Continuity of care: provincial public health offices and hospitals in the returnees’ home provinces.
For the process of caring for Thais returning from overseas, they will pass through a health checkpoint/disease screening point first.
In the event of injury, they will be referred for a health examination or to see a doctor.
If there are abnormal symptoms of an infectious disease, samples will be taken for testing, with the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute preparing accommodation rooms.
If no abnormalities are found, they will undergo mental health assessment and psychological support, before coordination with the Department of Employment on benefits/Thai labour rights, and with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security on social assistance and travel back to their home provinces.
