Hospitals nationwide ordered to review and improve building structures as needed
PUBLISHED : 18 Nov 2023 at 17:30
Medical emergency response teams will inspect the structures of 14 hospital buildings in areas that felt tremors from an earthquake in Myanmar on Friday, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
The quake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck on Friday morning. The epicentre was located 76 kilometres southwest of Kengtung in Shan State, or about 100 kilometres northwest of Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai.
The quake was felt in some northern and northeastern provinces, as well as some areas in Bangkok.
Sura Wisetsak, head of the Department of Health Service Support, has ordered teams from regional health service support centres to conduct building inspections at 11 hospitals that reported damage in Chiang Rai, two in Chiang Mai and one in the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon.
The teams consist of biomedical engineers and civil engineers, with their main mission being to inspect any damage to the building interior caused by the quake. They will assess damage risks and provide recovery support while keeping an eye on any additional aftershocks, said Dr Sura.
Arkhom Praditsuwan, the department’s deputy chief, said its design and construction division had ordered all ministry hospitals located on fault lines throughout the country to review and improve their building structures as necessary to ensure stability in the event of future earthquakes.
It also ordered the hospitals to use shock-proof technology for any new buildings, in line with the 2007 Building Control Act, added Dr Arkhom.
Meanwhile, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported that the Friday quake injured one person in Chiang Rai.
The quake affected people in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nan and Sakon Nakhon, it said, adding that its personnel were providing help to people in those areas while inspecting the damage.
Apart from one injured person, seven out of 18 districts in Chiang Rai reported minor damage caused by the tremors, with six hospitals, three houses and one municipal office building reported to be in need of repair.
Some cracks were seen on the chapel ceiling and a main Buddha statue at Wat Phumin, a famous tourist attraction in Nan.
The quake also caused some cracks in the walls of emergency, accident and outpatient facilities at Sakon Nakhon Hospital. The Engineering Institute of Thailand is now inspecting the structures, according to the report.
