Phuket health officials yesterday (Apr 21) marked nine new cases of infection, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of infectionofficially recognised during the current outbreak to 257.
Among the cases, 250 cases are now in hospitals in Phuket, one case has been moved to receive treatment in Bangkok, and six have been discharged, reported the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO).
Dr Chalermpong Sakontapol, Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, inspected the second field hospital at PRU yesterday, where 70 beds made of cardboard have been set up in the university’s main auditorium building.
“From this outbreak, the number of new infected cases in Phuket is increasing every day, and we now have more than 200 cases receiving treatment in both government and private hospitals, as well as at the field hospital at PSU [Prince of Songkhla University Phuket campus in Kathu],” Dr Chalermpong said.
“Right now, we have about 80 cases at the field hospital [at PSU], and about 20 new cases every day. If the number of new infected cases keeps increasing like these over the next seven to 10 days, the field hospital [at PSU], which has full capacity for only 150 beds, will be full,” he said.
“So we have prepared to set up another field hospital at the [PRU] university meeting hall, which has full capacity for 265 beds.
“We are setting up 70 beds as the first phase in a small meeting hall. If that hall becomes full, we will set up more 195 beds in the main meeting hall,” Dr Chalermpong added.