Medical News in Thailand

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HEALTH

September 8, 2013

Isaan network hailed as model for faster cancer treatment

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has joined forces with the Public Health Ministry to develop a network for cancer patients' care to boost access to treatment by cutting waiting time for radiation and chemotherapy.

The public health region 10 - covering Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, and Mukdahan - was hailed as a model for fast and complete cancer treatment.

NHSO chief Winai Sawasdivorn recently led a media tour to show care for cancer patients at Ubon Ratchathani Cancer Centre and Sunpasitthi Prasong Hospital.

He also led a visit to a screening unit for cholangio-carcinoma, run in cooperation with Muang Si Sa Ket Municipality.

Winai said cancer had been the top cause of death in Thailand since 1999 and in 2011 alone there were 150 cancer patients per 100,000 people.

While liver and lung cancer were found the most among Thai males, cervical and lung cancer were most common among women, he said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects Thailand to have 148,729 new cancer patients with 95,804 cancer deaths by 2020. In 2030, WHO expects Thailand to have 176,301 new cancer patients with 120,689 deaths.

In view of this, the NHSO and the Health Ministry developed the cancer network among hospitals to treat patients close to their homes, starting from screening, initial diagnosis, patient referral and palliative care for the terminally ill, he said.

The current rate of chemotherapy treatment was at 90 per cent while patients could be referred and wait up to two months for radiation, Winai said.

There were 35 tertiary hospitals for cancer treatment in the NHSO system, he said.

The Northeast suffers most from cholangio-carcinoma with 10,000 patients a year, but only 300 can get surgery because it can take up to eight hours. So, the network was necessary to boost the hospitals' strength and resources to heal patients, he said.

Sunpasitthi Prasong Hospital expert Dr Kanokwan Mingkwan said liver cancer and cholangio-carcinoma were the health region 10's top causes of death, and had increased every year from 33.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007 to nearly 43 deaths per 100,000 people in 2010.

Kanokwan said each treatment was complicated and needed high technology, tools, expensive drugs, and experts.

Sunpasitthi Prasong Hospital was well equipped for surgery, chemotherapy and nuclear medicine, while Ubon Ratchathani Cancer Centre was well place for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, palliative care and surgery for some diseases.

So, to get complete treatment in one area, patients needed to be referred among hospitals.

Ubon Ratchathani set up a cancer network in 2004, which expanded to the other four provinces, she said.

The provincial network reduced the referral rate outside the province from 89 cases in 2011 to 55 in 2012 and cut waiting time for surgery from 7-14 days to two to three days.

Dr Pongsathon Soopa-atakon from Ubon Ratchathani Cancer Centre's radiotherapy department said cooperation with Sunpasitthi Prasong Hospital saw 30 patients get operations between January 1 and June 30.

The patients could opt for some cancer surgery at a hospital near home with an expert before receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the two facilities.

Medical services closer to home

There was also an emergency patient referral system for radiotherapy within one to three days, while the nuclear medicine treatment also had a "fast track" that reduced patients' waiting time from one month to 7 days.

Terminally ill patients also received palliative care near home, which was convenient, fast and cut the cost for patients, he said.

In 2012, there were 900 patients getting palliative care, which also got cooperation from local administrative organisations.

Ubon Ratchathani Cancer Centre nurse Nantiya Keawwongsa said there were about 90 palliative-care patients under one hospital and this centre also did house calls within a 50km radius.

She cited a 62-year-old patient who had breast cancer that spread to bones, so she had got morphine (liquid) and capsules at home when she was in pain.

Nantiya said that the hospital also lent oxygen cylinders, suction machines and beds to patients, while hospital staff also ensured that tools were used properly and provided basic health checks and blood pressure before submitting patients' information to the near-home hospital and the network's hospitals could get the patients' data.

Ubon Ratchathani Cancer Centre and Sunpasitthi Prasong Hospital also acted as the network's servers, supporting other hospitals in the network in terms of medicine, tools, modern technologies and experts.

[Oytopikos]

Minister Pradit says dengue situation improves

BANGKOK, 21 October 2013 (NNT) – Dengue situation in the country has improved as the number of new infections decreased in the past week.

According to Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sintavanarong , judging from the number of new dengue infections reported last week, which stood below 2,000, the situation has improved nationwide, thanks to the cooler weather as mosquitoes prefer warm temperature climate despite the fact that they are cold-blooded. The minister expects the number of new infections to drop to as low as 1,000 nationwide by the end of October.

According to the statistics compiled between January 1st to October 15th, around 135,000 people came down with dengue infections, 126 of whom were killed by the deadly disease. Despite the improving condition, the minister still puts 10 provinces on alert for more infections. These provinces include Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Sawan, Saraburi, Nonthaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkhram, Rayong, and Narathiwat.

As for Bangkok, more than 10,000 people have been infected by the disease so far this year, with 2 casualties. The district with the highest number of infections is Bang Kapi, followed by Suanluang, Chatuchak, and Phasi Charoen.

http://thainews.prd.go.th

[Oytopikos]

Min of Public Health reveals that dengue fever situation has improved

BANGKOK, 28th October 2013 (NNT) – Dr.Pradit Sintavanarong, the Minister of Public Health, has stated that the general situation of dengue fever in Thailand has continuously improved.

According to the Minister, the number of Dengue fever patients has dropped from approximately 2,000 per week to under 1,000, which is expected. 714 patients, with no deaths, were reported last week.

Since the beginning of the year, the number of people coming down with dengue has topped 136,000, among whom 126 have died. Among the high-risk groups are those between 15 to 24 years of age, followed by teenagers-- between 10 to 14 years old-- and adults between 25 to 34 years old; at 29%, 22%, and 13%, respectively. Over 67,000 of the patients were students. The provinces with the highest rates of the fever are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi. The 5 provinces that are still at risk include Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nonthaburi, Rayong, Narathiwat.

The southern region remains at risk as it will be in for by heavy rains from October all the way through to December, during which the number of dengue patients is expected to increase.

The Public Health office in every province has been asked to seek cooperation from local communities in getting rid of mosquito breeding grounds every week to protect against the fever.

http://thainews.prd.go.th

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SWINE FLU

Swine flu claims lives of 24 people this year





BANGKOK: Swine flu or H1N1 flu has so far claimed the lives of 24 patients in the country since early this year.

Northern Thailand is the region hardest hit by the swine flu, said director of Trang Hospital Dr Chaiyuth Saksornchai, an expert in the swine flu.

He said the highest mortality rate was reported among patients in the 55-64 and 45-54 age group.

Fifty cases of H1N1 have been reported since the beginning of this year in Trang province.

He said the symptoms of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.

If any member of the family is sick with these kinds of illness for more than two days, immediate medical attention should be provided.

For those who have been diagnosed with the flu are advised to keep away from others as much as possible and cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, he said.

H1N1 first emerged in Thailand in 2010 before resurfacing again this year.



thai pbs 25-04-2014

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ALERT FOR CHICKENPOX SPREAD

Public Health Ministry on alert for chickenpox spread

BANGKOK: 7 Dec 2014 (NNT)

The Ministry of Public Health has stepped up surveillance measures against chickenpox, which has reportedly intensified during winter.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, chickenpox has now sickened nearly 80,000 people or 244 daily and caused one death.

The number of patients this year has risen by 37 percent compared to the same period last year.

People needing extra surveillance are children aged under one and those with underlying or chronic diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes, since these groups of people are likely to suffer more severe symptoms than ordinary people.

The number of chicken pox patients aged under one this year has reportedly surpassed 2,500, a jump from last year’s record of 1,712.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by primary infection with varicella-zoster virus.

The disease causes fever, itchy rashes and red spots or blisters all over the body.

Chickenpox can be spread by biological fluid, physical contact, and use of common clothes, towels, or bed sheets.

A person with chickenpox can pass on the virus two to three days before the rashes appear.

There is no actual cure of chickenpox.

The best way to handle the disease is to ease the symptoms and boost the immune system with proper medication and hygiene.

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Dengue Fever

Here are the educational leaflets about Dengue Fever, posted by Municipalities in Thailand recently, as Doctors are raising awareness.   

[Oytopikos]

Zika warning: Thailand named region’s “red alert” country

The Nation August 29, 2016 3:37 pm

Department of Disease Control chief Dr Amnuay Gajeena Monday urged Thais to help control the breeding of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
And provinces where Zika virus patients are being treated were instructed to immediately set up emergency operations centres to contain any outbreaks.

Amnuay said his office had asked the Foreign Affairs Ministry to re-check information and clarify the disease's progress with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The ECDC website cited Thailand as a "red alert" country with increasing or widespread Zika virus transmission to the point of having the region's highest number of patients within the last three months.

The rise of Zika infections actually reflected Thailand's awareness, disease-monitoring measures, diagnosis and information disclosures that were up to international standards, Amnuay said.

Affirming that Thailand was continuously implementing intensive measures against the Zika virus, he said the virus was declared a contagious disease under the Communicable Disease Act 2015. This meant any cases must be reported to heath authorities.