Rescue riders deployed for 100,000 patients in Bangkok home isolation
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has deployed “Super Riders” in Bangkok to deliver emergency medical supplies to Covid-19 patients in home isolation.
The volunteer motorcycle riders carry paracetamol, green chiretta (Fah Talai Jone), thermometers, fingertip oximeters, alcohol sanitiser and face masks, said DDC deputy director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong on Thursday. They have already made deliveries to more than 100 patients, he added.
The DDC and City Hall have also deployed more than a dozen special teams to protect the city’s most vulnerable residents. The Comprehensive COVID-19 Response Teams are testing 1,000 people daily, vaccinating at-risk groups such as bedridden patients, and evaluating and promoting Covid-19 safety measures in risky areas such as construction sites, markets and communities.
People who think they may have contracted Covid-19 can call the Department of Disease Control hotline on 1422.
The DDC wants Covid-19 patients and close contacts to enter the treatment system as soon as possible in order to reduce new cases and fatalities. So far, nearly 100,000 patients in Bangkok have been placed in home isolation as the capital logged another 4,713 cases on Friday.
Those who tested positive will be given an RT-PCR test by a biosafety mobile unit to confirm infection. Mobile chest X-rays are also available at the Royal Thai Army Club. Patients will be assigned home, community, or hospital treatment according to their level of symptoms.
Opas said patients with no or mild symptoms can be registered for 14 days of home treatment.