7 February 2024 at 05: 51 Discussed
Following a rise in the number of persons affected by PM2.5, the Ministry of Public Health says it intends to offer “dust-free” medical rooms for at-risk people in 30 regions.
Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, the permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, reported that over the previous four months, more than 10,000 patients had been affected by fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns ( PM2.5 ), with 1, 407 of them in need of emergency care.
Dr. Opas stated that the government intends to open “dust-free” rooms in 30 high-risk provinces, including the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Mae Hong Son, Lamphun, and Chiang Mai.
The rooms will be available to vulnerable people, such as the elderly, young children, expectant mothers, and those who suffer from chronic illnesses like heart condition, asthma, or eczema.
According to Dr. Opas, the country’s PM2.5 condition deteriorated this week as 44 regions experienced levels above 37.5 g/m3 according to data from Tuesday.
According to Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, a spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ), the recent rise in PM2.5 to an unhealthy level in 26 Bangkok neighborhoods is the result of outside factors, particularly burning smoke from Cambodia.
This year, 49, 983 places in Thailand’s neighboring countries reported burning activity, an increase of 93 % from 25, 856 places the year before.
Suan Thawiwanarom Park, Sanam Luang 2, the Bangkok Noi rail police station, the Bang Bon market in the city of Bangkok, and Phetkasem 81 are the top five places in Bangkok with the highest PM2.5 levels.
In the meantime, Bangkok chancellor Chadchart Sittipunt stated that farmers are among the people most to blame for the PM2.5 issue because they burn a lot of grass and cannot manage equipment that would allow them to refrain from doing so. He also revealed a BMA program that lends farmers tractors and grass balers to help them cut down on their losing costs and increase their revenue from the sale of grain straw blocks.