The Public Health Ministry has directed the Department of Medical Services to urgently mobilize medical personnel to assist residents affected by severe flooding in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, and other southern provinces.

According to the Department of Medical Services, widespread flooding has impacted large areas of the South, prompting the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to order all agencies to intensify relief operations. The Minister of Public Health has also expressed concern for public well-being and instructed the following measures:

          - All provincial PHEOCs must closely monitor the situation and stay prepared to provide immediate assistance.

          - Local health units must expedite home visits and screenings for vulnerable groups, including bedridden patients, pregnant women, young children, persons with disabilities, dialysis patients, and the elderly.

          - Distribution of essential medical supplies, including flood-relief medicine kits, chronic disease medications, and infectious-disease prevention items, must reach all affected communities.

          - Hospitals and health centers impacted by flooding must establish temporary service points in safe areas to ensure continuity of care, and review contingency plans for emergency patient transfers.

          - Disease surveillance must be strengthened, particularly for water-borne and flood-related illnesses such as diarrhea, leptospirosis, respiratory infections, and conditions caused by venomous animals. Sanitation in shelters, food safety, and drinking water safety must be strictly monitored.

          - Assessment of damage to personnel, facilities, and equipment must be conducted, along with risk analysis for healthcare service delivery over the next 72 hours.

Additionally, each health region has been instructed to prepare mobile units capable of assisting flood-affected residents or transporting patients and vulnerable individuals to safe zones—ideally within the first 12 hours.

The Department of Medical Services, equipped with specialist medical teams across multiple fields, is ready to deploy immediately today (25 November 2025). Medical personnel will be dispatched to support hospitals and clinics in affected areas, including Hat Yai Hospital and others requesting assistance. A total of 38 medical staff have been mobilized—9 doctors and 29 nurses—to help alleviate the burden on local healthcare facilities and provide continued care for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, critical patients, and others requiring special attention.

The department will work closely with local agencies to organize medical and public health teams, support both physical and mental health services, and ensure adequate distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies.

 

 

Source: The Public Health Ministry