Hospital in north-east suspends non-urgent treatment after patient dies of Covid-19

A hospital in the north-eastern province of Buriram has temporarily closed for non-urgent treatment after a patient died from complications arising from Covid-19. Prakhon Chai Hospital has announced the closure on its Facebook page, saying all non-urgent treatment is suspended for 2 days, to allow for deep cleaning and disinfecting of several wards. All medical staff who had contact with the deceased patient will also be tested, as will his wife and family.

The Bangkok Post reports that the 56 year old man worked at a bar in the Klong Toey district of Bangkok. On April 7, he travelled home with his wife, then developed a fever, which he reported to public health officials. He remained at home over the next few days, but developed a bad cough on April 13, which he tried to treat with cough mixture.

By Saturday, April 17, he was reporting exhaustion and was treated at a local clinic. That night, he took a turn for the worse and his wife called for an ambulance. On the way to Prakhon Chai Hospital, the man stopped breathing and medical staff performed CPR. A rapid Covid-19 test in the emergency room showed the man was infected. He died early on Sunday morning.

A disease control official has visited residents in the man’s community, while a staff member at the hospital has urged people not to withhold information on their symptoms, thereby putting others at risk.

Thailand is in the grip of a third wave of Covid-19, with infections rising rapidly and concern about the highly-contagious UK variant, which has now arrived in the country. All provinces have been colour-coded either red or orange, based on their infection level. New restrictions have been implemented across the country, including the closure of all pubs, clubs and other nightlife venues, and a ban on the sale of alcohol in restaurants.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post