Thailand’s health volunteers are ‘unsung heroes’ WHO rep says

Thailand’s village health volunteers have been deemed “unsung heroes” in the coronavirus pandemic by a World Health Organisation representative for Thailand.

“The volunteers have helped keep the number of cases low by educating villagers about the virus and prevention measures as well as collecting temperatures.”

While Thailand had the first coronavirus case outside of China, the country has not been hit hard as others, with only 3,084 cases and 58 deaths (as of Thursday morning) since January. The Village Health Volunteers, which started in 1977 after the Cold War, has around 1 million people involved across the country, helping those in remote areas with little access to medical care.

Longtime volunteer 77 year old Surin Makradee told Reuters that she goes door-to-door in her village Saladaeng, Northeast Thailand, doing routine temperature checks. She also monitors those who have returned home and need to quarantine.

“I consider people in the village my family. If I don’t educate them, they will not understand the risk of getting infected,” Makradee told Reuters. “I have to educate those in quarantine to eat and live separately from their family members.”

SOURCE: Reuters