The update was presented at the first Phuket Provincial Occupational and Environmental Disease Control Committee meeting for 2026, held at the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) on Friday (Feb 6). The meeting was chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Teeraphong Chuaychoo, with Deputy Provincial Public Health Officer Suphalak Damrongcheua and committee members from relevant agencies in attendance.
The meeting reviewed progress on PM2.5 monitoring, with the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office reporting that it had coordinated with local administrative organisations to prepare response measures and establish dust-free rooms as part of pollution mitigation efforts.
Officials also reviewed the overall situation of occupational and environmental diseases in Phuket and Health Region 11, including impacts on environmental conditions, workers, farmers and industrial establishments, alongside operational plans for the 2026 fiscal year.
The committee said disease control work would continue in line with the Occupational and Environmental Disease Control Act B.E. 2562 (2019). Members were briefed on key legal provisions and recent regulations, including the Ministry of Public Health announcement on the names and key symptoms of occupational and environmental diseases B.E. 2568 (2025), and guidelines on notification, reporting and disease surveillance issued by the Department of Disease Control.
In principle, the committee approved the establishment of a new occupational and environmental disease control unit in Phuket to replace the previous unit following personnel changes. Relevant agencies were tasked with proposing suitable candidates for the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office to proceed with formal establishment.
The meeting also discussed the designation of PM2.5 surveillance areas and disease prevention and control measures linked to dust exposure, stressing the need for integrated cooperation and strict enforcement by public health, education, local administrative organisations, transport, natural resources and environment authorities and other relevant agencies.
The committee further approved the creation of a database for informal workers in Phuket to support enforcement of the Ministerial Regulation on Health Inspection of Informal Workers B.E. 2567 (2024). Local administrative organisations will provide information on businesses considered hazardous to health, with the database to be used to strengthen monitoring, prevention and control of occupational diseases among informal workers in the province.