No VIP isolation beds at field hospitals, better facilities through health insurance

When it comes to a stay at a Thailand field hospital, there’s no VIP section, according to the country’s Public Health Minister. For some who are not eligible for home isolation, it’s either a field hospital, where the stay is free, but the beds are made of cardboard, or a hospital, which can be expensive.

Along with cardboard beds, some field hospitals are in facilities like gymnasiums where there are no windows or central air conditioning. Photos posted by the government show a fan by each bed along with a pack of water bottles.

One person told The Thaiger that the conditions at a field hospital were so bad, that they immediately asked what another option would be. The next option was a hospital at 1,500 baht per night. They said it was better than sleeping in on a cardboard bed in a hall with no windows and poor ventilation.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says every patient will be treated equally according to their symptoms and reiterated that there are no special beds that can be requested at field hospitals.

He urged home isolation and community quarantine to be the main treatment processes for patients with mild symptoms. Patients also have the right to use their personal health insurance for better rooms and facilities. But for expats without health insurance, you’ll have to pay up for a quality room.

SOURCE: Khaosod