Hospital, prison evacuated, road swamped in Ayutthaya
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Medical staff rushed to evacuate patients from Ayutthaya province's Bang Pra Han hospital yesterday after floodwaters one-metre deep submerged the hospital entrance.
A central prison has been cleared of its inmates and flooding has blocked the Asia road at Angthong province which is the main route to Bangkok. The flood submerged thousands of cars, leaving many stranded on the road.
Seventeen patients were rescued by two flat boats and taken to alternative centres as the Bang Pra Han hospital was forced to temporarily shut down its medical services. Two of its patients were in a critical condition.
Four were transported to Nakhon Luang district’s Som Dej Pra Sangkaraj hospital, two to Ang Thong hospital, six to Wang Noi hospital and four to Uthai hospital.
Dr Pongsakhon Amornchaicharn said the floodwater did not inundate the hospital’s main building but its compound and surrounding areas were submerged.
“We could not continue to provide medical services for patients. [The situation] was risky for the critically ill, especially those needing respiratory devices,” he said.
The Public Health Ministry yesterday said the number of people estimated at risk from committing suicide because of the floods had surged to 500 cases, with 3,687 under stress and 1,931 suffering from depression.
Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said he had instructed officials to prepare to evacuate people from other centres in Ayutthaya province.
They were also told to build floodwater barriers to protect industrial zones, including Hi-tech, Bang Pa-In and Rojana Industrial estates.
Buildings in front of Ayutthaya provincial city hall have been established as evacuation centres to accommodate over 1,000 people.
Witthaya also instructed officials to protect other rural hospitals in Ayutthaya province, including Ban Praek, Maharaj, Ta Reu, Nakhon Luang, and Nakhon Sawan province’s Chumsaeng hospital.
“We need to change plans if the level of water continues to rise,” he said. “We have prepared for a helicopter to provide help with emergency cases.”
The central prison in Ayutthaya was also submerged by floodwater and prison officials were instructed to evacuate 1,700 inmates to safe areas. Director Suwichak Sribencharat said the water had risen very fast on Wednesday night, flooding the prison’s compound.
Male inmates were instructed to take their shirts off and were handcuffed and bound together with rope to prevent their escape. All were transferred to seven nearby prisons.
Floodwaters from Tung Han Tra field has submerged the Ban Koh–Han Tra road to a depth of one-and-a-half metres and blocked the Asia road at Angthong province.
Police suggest drivers avoid Asia road and use other routes to Wisetchaicharn district and on to Suphanburi province.
