COVID patients flee Phuket field hospital

COVID patients flee Phuket field hospital

PHUKET: Officials responsible for safeguarding the field hospital set up at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket campus in Kathu are conducting a full check of the patients being kept there after some of them were seen fleeing the COVID-care facility yesterday (Aug 29).

COVID-19Coronavirushealth
By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 30 August 2021, 06:22PM

Two patients were seen fleeing the field hospital at PSU Phuket in Kathu. Photo: Busaya Santisant

Two patients were seen fleeing the field hospital at PSU Phuket in Kathu. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

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Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), confirmed that he learned of patients fleeing the field hospital only today after one of the doctors providing care for the COVID-19 infected patients there reported it.

“We need to check how many patients have fled the hospital and where they have gone so that we can catch them and bring them back to the hospital. I will report this to superior officers,” Dr Kusak said.

“At the hospital, we have personnel from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command posted for safety and security,” he added.

Dr Busaya Santisant went public with reporting patients fleeing the field hospital through a post on her Facebook page last night.

“Patients [have] fled the field hospital at PSU. I want to consult superior officers. We, medical staff, cannot handle this. If they flee, can we just close the door and let the police catch them?” Dr Busaya said in her post.

“If those who have fled the hospital have been treated with medication and do not have any symptoms, can we just send them back to do house isolation? Military police who come to stand by [here] cannot give any help, but just inform us,” Dr Busaya added.

Dr Busaya told The Phuket News this morning (Aug 30) that she just wanted to share what had happened at the field hospital and what medical staff are doing, so that reporters or responsible officers could take action.

Christy Sweet | 31 August 2021 - 21:49:12

Finally the worker camp on Layan Soi 7 is complying-the canteens are shuttered and there is a govt run restaurant of sorts set up in a tent on a lot next door. Now will they pick up their plastic packaging litter strewn everywhere ?

christysweet | 31 August 2021 - 16:43:17

What a load of shgrtity. Masks work fine when people care enough to 
 wear them properly, just ask a surgeon and turn off Conspiracy Tube. Agree about the beach and Covid Jail.

r u sure | 31 August 2021 - 16:30:42

I'm guessing the majority are Myanmar? Easy targets to lock up when not really ill? But as far as I'm aware the highest cases are being recorded in workers camps and markets. Keep the workers locked up = less chance of infections rising. ust need a complete  shutdown of fresh markets now really?

PAsh | 31 August 2021 - 15:03:54

Field hospitals that incarcerate people who are not ill is probably the silliest policy in Thaind apart from wearing masks on a beach.

PAsh | 31 August 2021 - 15:02:03

Masjs do not worhxgrsitysweet they give less than 10^ protection against 12% for fresh air and good venitlation. You know what you should do with your pictures. masks are dirty unhygenic and anti social . You havejust proved the latter.

christysweet | 31 August 2021 - 11:23:02

Sitting in Mission Hospital waiting room and 4 foreigners have masks not even covering the top of their pieholes. Yes, I have pictures.

Kurt | 31 August 2021 - 10:33:16

@PJ, Healthy people being tested positive can be people who somehow have immunity or are vaccinated. To hospitalize them is complete idiot. Any vaccinated person can carry Covid virus and infect non-vaccinated people. The solution, and only solution is: vaccinate the unvaccinated people with a quality vaccine!

PJ | 30 August 2021 - 21:58:30

But why are healthy people who happen to test positive or may have been in close contact, being ‘locked up’ in the first place, instead of self isolating at home.  This not only upsets those who are “banged up” but deters others from getting tested.

Christy Sweet | 30 August 2021 - 21:56:25

So long, due process.

Kurt | 30 August 2021 - 19:06:59

Catch the escapers and let them complete isolation behind bars in old prison. Dr Busaya actually is saying that the military police of the navy at guard at field hospital is good for nothing. Hahaha. Get them tested too again.