By Bernama,
Bangkok : Thailand’s Public Health Ministry will dispatch medicines and syringes worth almost Bt10 million (almost US$314,960) to treat cyclone victims in neighbouring Myanmar and plans to send 19 teams of doctors to the devastated country upon request, Thailand News Agency (TNA) quoted Minister Chaiya Sasomsup as saying on Tuesday.
Chaiya said the pharmaceuticals and kits would be sent by a C-130 military transport aircraft to cyclone areas in Myanmar soon with Thai Foreign Ministry help.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Praj Boonyawongvirot said his ministry had coordinated with the Thai Red Cross and the Foreign Ministry on a plan to send 19 teams of doctors along with necessary medicines to Myanmar immediately if requested by that country.
Another team of Thai medical personnel also is prepared to respond to the Myanmar crisis in the coming weeks, Dr. Praj said.
Myanmar authorities said as many as 15,000 people are believed to have died in the disaster, and many more are missing.
Hundreds of thousands of people are said to be without clean water and shelter, with some areas still cut-off.
Myanmar has appealed for urgent assistance from the international community in wake of the disaster.
Dr. Praj said common diseases which could occur after the disaster are diarrhea, conjunctivitis (red eye) and malaria, all related to the scarcity of clean drinking water and food.