The right chemistry

Thailand’s floods have seen people from all walks of life volunteering their time and skills to help others and the pharmaceutical profession has certainly been no exception.

Pharmacists and pharmaceutical students have been busy over the past month producing a vast quantity of modified Whitfield’s Ointment to help flood victims suffering from bacterial and fungal conditions on their feet.

Now many of them have started producing herbal mosquito lotion while others are looking ahead to the rebuilding that lies ahead and preparing stocks of “Ra-Away,” a fungus eradicating solution to treat houses and furniture damaged by the floodwaters to pre-empt respiratory problems.

According to World Health Organisation, flooding is normally associated with two increased risks of diseases. First, water-borne infection of which Hong Kong foot is one through direct contact with polluted waters, and secondly, vector-borne disease, as floods may indirectly lead through the expansion in the number of vector habitats. Standing water can act as breeding sites for mosquitoes and while flooding may initially flush out mosquito breeding, it comes back when the waters recede.

The country’s drug stores quickly ran out of the creams and ointments to treat foot problems, which in any case are not produced in large quantities. But many universities with pharmaceutical science faculties in Bangkok such as Chulalongkorn, Silpakorn, Huachiew, Srinakharinwirot, Mahidol, as well as Chiang Mai, rushed to the rescue, transforming their classrooms into production lines for modified Whitfield’s Ointment and herbal mosquito lotion.

Fungal and bacterial condition usually cause dry skin, redness, blisters, itching, and peeling. If not treated right away, the condition may be hard to cure and if not treated properly, the condition may recur. The best way of preventing infection is to keep the feet, especially the area between the toes, dry and clean.

That’s not easy during flood conditions, so assistant professor Aphirudee Hemachudha, leader of the NamAey NamJai volunteer group, which is working in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical System Research and Development Foundation, recommends using the modified Whitfield’s Ointment before and after getting the feet wet. Before stepping in water, flood victims should put the ointment on the foot, especially between the toes.

“Petroleum jelly in the ointment protects the skin from absorbing water and moisture as well as enabling the skin surface to chase out water,” she says. “Then, after you’ve cleaned your feet and dried them properly, put on the ointment. Using it continuously for three to four weeks will cure fungal and bacterial infections.”

The NamAey Namjai group has so far produced almost 700,000 50g tubes of the ointment. The production costs are more than Bt10 million, most of which has been absorbed by local and international donations. “Now, with the waters receding, the mosquitoes are back in force and we could be potentially be facing many serious diseases. We’ve started producing mosquito lotion and initially we’ll distribute it to soldiers since many of them have health problems too,” Aphirudee notes.

Over at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, assistant professor Surapong Kengtong, associate dean of student affairs, says students are taking turns to produce ointment to treat foot problems. “Normally, during the university break, our students do volunteer works upcountry. This year, they’re in the lab working towards their future careers. I think this crisis has helped them build up confidence in themselves and the medication they’ve produced has been well received and really useful to those in need.”

So far the faculty has produced 200,000 jars of ointment to treat foot problems. “By the time the university opens in December, we aim to produce 300,000 jars,” says Ladawan Kittipatwong, a senior student. “We also plan to produce skin lotion to donate to those in need during the winter season.”

Another group of volunteer pharmacists known collectively as “Namtuam Pae Namjai – Satriwit School M6 Class 2” has also played a significant role in producing ointment to treat foot problems. Their production base is at Silpakorn University. Pongphaya Choosakulchart, associate director of Quintiles and leader of the group, says they had recently finished packing the last of their skin ointment and will now be focusing on a treatment to eradicate fungus for distribution to people who are cleaning up their homes.

“Living with fungus can cause respiratory problems and may lead to other diseases as people continue to breathe in these fungi. Our group is studying what can be done, how effective any treatment will be as well as side effects,” she says. “Once this step is completed, we’ll announce our contribution so all flood victims can benefit from it. For now, we are just grateful for all the donations and our volunteers.”

YOU CAN HELP
<< If you want foot ointment, call Ladawan at (085) 3667831 Chitprapai at (085) 0183875.
<< Also if you want herbal mosquito lotion, call Kaimook (081) 4447781 or www.YaAndYou.net