Hat Yai Hospital denies rumour of 100 deaths following power cut in floods
Hat Yai Hospital urged netizens not to share fake news after a Thai woman claimed more than 100 patients had died following an electricity cut during the severe flooding in Songkhla.
A Thai woman posted on her Facebook account yesterday, November 25, saying she visited Hat Yai Hospital to collect the body of a relative and found that over 100 people had died.
The woman claimed claimed the patients needed respirators, but the devices failed due to the power outage. She called on medical staff and government officials not to conceal information from the public.
The post quickly spread online, with many netizens sharing it and raising concerns, especially among those who have family members receiving treatment at the hospital.
Another Facebook user also alleged that the hospital had run out of food for its medical staff and would not have enough meals for patients the following day. The claims put pressure on the government and sparked heavy criticism of the crisis management.
At 9.31pm yesterday, Hat Yai Hospital released an official statement denying the reports. The caption read…
“We ask for everyone’s cooperation. Please do not share fake news. It will spread panic and worsen the situation for our medical team at Hat Yai Hospital.”
The hospital told Channel 7 that 27 bodies were in storage before the flooding began, and another 14 were patients who died between November 22 and 25, most of them elderly or critically ill. The hospital said the number of fatalities was comparable to that of other large hospitals.
The hospital stressed that there were 41 bodies in total, all kept properly in the cold room. Medical staff assured the public they would continue to take care of both the bodies and patients with full dedication.
Regarding the rumour about food shortages, the Ministry of Public Health confirmed on its official Facebook page that the claim was false. The ministry said the hospital’s staff were still able to cook, and Songkhla Hospital would deliver 1,000 food boxes to Hat Yai Hospital daily from yesterday evening.
The ministry also denied reports that 80 flood victims’ bodies had been transported to Hat Yai Hospital. However, the exact number of flood-related deaths has not yet been confirmed by officials.
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