NONTHABURI, April 17 (TNA) – Medical personnel still lack personal protective equipment (PPE) suits to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while there are enough masks for them, Deputy Prime Minister/Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
He acknowledged the situation in his meeting with representatives of health organizations and faculties of medicine under universities.
“Regarding medical supplies to cope with COVID-19 situations, there are enough N95 masks and surgical masks but there are not enough PPE suits,” Mr Anutin said.
The Government Pharmaceutical Organization ordered PPE suits directly from manufacturers but they did not deliver products because their homeland also faced the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
He dismissed online orders, saying products from online vendors were substandard.
Mr Anutin also said that Thailand better contained COVID-19 as the patients who recovered and returned home outnumbered those remaining at hospitals.
He said he asked banks to reduce debts of all medical personnel and was working out additional welfare for them. (TNA)
