Phuket’s main Covid vaccination centre offers drive-through service for elderly patients

A drive-through Covid-19 vaccination service has opened up at Phuket’s main vaccination centre, allowing those 60 years old or above, and those with underlying health conditions, to get inoculated without getting out of their car.

Health officials started offering the service after noticing that many elderly people had trouble walking through the large Saphan Hin Gymnasium to get a vaccine. Before the drive-through service, people would need to walk from the car park and then up 2 flights of stairs to get to the waiting area for a vaccine. They’d have to walk to an area for a health check and then wait in line for a vaccination.

Now older adults and those who have health conditions that make walking difficult or tiring can stay seated in their car for a vaccination. Health care workers do a temperature and health check before administering the vaccine. Then, the patients must park their car and wait for 30 minutes check for side effects before leaving the centre.

Health officials on the island have been accelerating the rollout of vaccines in an effort to inoculate 70% of the population by the end of the month and reopen Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists under the proposed “Sandbox” model on July 1.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand