Jump to content

Public healthcare pilot project aims to make Patong beach safe for tourists


webfact

Recommended Posts

Public healthcare pilot project aims to make Patong beach safe for tourists

By Salinee Prap
The Nation

 

800_0cb35e034a94170.jpg?v=1566113291

 

The Patong beach in Phuket has been chosen to be an integrated marine public healthcare pilot area where state agencies, local administrators and local people join forces to provide aid in response to accidents at sea. The move is aimed at boosting tourists' confidence.

 

Under the pilot project, dubbed "Patong Safety Beach", the Public Health Ministry's inspector-general, Pitakpol Boonyamalik, presented automated external defibrillator (AED) devices to the Patong beach lifeguard team during the launch of the project on Saturday (August 17).

 

%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%88%E0%

 

The launch, held at the Kudo Beach Club at Patong, also included a workshop on first-aid training, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of AED devices for 60 business operators, beach-side service providers, hotel staff and community people.

 

%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%88%E0%

 

Pitakpol said the ministry had chosen five coastal provinces popular among tourists -- namely Phuket, Chon Buri, Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani -- for its marine public health system and emergency medical service development. Phuket chose the Patong beach where there were frequent accidents from the use of boats, sharp objects, instances of drowning as well as visitors being bitten by washed-up marine life. 

 

"Our aim to make ‘Patong the Safety Beach’ requires participation from the people sector and various related organisations to create an effective and world-class response to sea emergencies so as to boost tourists' confidence," Pitakpol said. 

 

Besides a professional beach lifeguard team who were at hand to provide first-aid training, the ministry also trained "Narenthorn Andaman" rescue workers, as well as Patong Hospital doctors and nurses for life-saving operations. A "smart ambulance" was made available through which a doctor at the hospital could instruct rescue workers to provide timely care via the monitor screen, he said. 

 

%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%88%E0%

 

With Patong as a model for such marine public healthcare-integration to take care of tourists, other beaches such as Kata, Karon, Nai Han, and Bang Tao would later have such programmes so that Phuket would shine as a safety beach model for other provinces in the 11th Public Health Service Region, he added.

 

Patong Mayor Chalermlak Kepsap said the Patong Safety Beach initiative included participation from community people to aid the municipality-hired lifeguard members who during the day time cover the three-kilometre-long beach to take care of tourists in emergency events such as injuries from sharp objects and drowning. At night, officials hired by the Patong Development Foundation and private sector were on guard along the beach to care of some tourists swimming in the sea, drowning or other emergencies, she added.

 

Patong Development Foundation vice president Somprasong Saengchat said cooperation by all parties had already provided a thorough around-the-clock care for tourists at Patong, resulting in no deaths from drowning at Patong in the past three years. He said the training under "Patong Safety Beach" would make the beach even safer and raise the confidence of tourists.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30374931

 

nation.jpg

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-19
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The move is aimed at boosting tourists' confidence.

 

A great effort to make the beach safe. Just a couple of question, where does most serious accidents occur, on the beach or in the traffic? And what about the stray dogs biting people on the beach?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Patong Development Foundation vice president Somprasong Saengchat said cooperation by all parties had already provided a thorough around-the-clock care for tourists at Patong, resulting in no deaths from drowning at Patong in the past three years.

 

Great to see them doing something positive but the major factor regarding the above is they don't gets rips/undercurrents anywhere near as strong as found at Nai Harn, Karon, Surin ect...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So this is good for PATONG Beach, but not good for:

Naiharn Beach
Kata Noi Beach
Kata Beach
Karon Beach
Freedom Beach
Kamala Beach
Surin Beach
Bangtao Beach
Layan Beach
NaiThon Beach
NaiYang Beach
MaiKhao Beach

Fact is Patong Lifeguards already had AED's that they don't know how to use. Not ONE instance of them being used there. Government officials consistently use Patong Beach, who have lots of lifeguard staff and shiny equipment to put on their "Lifeguard Show" for ambassadors and dignitaries.

The beaches listed above have no real lifeguards or even basic rescue equipment. The government's reason for the show as they admit themselves, is to "Increase Tourist Confidence", not to actually make Phuket's beaches safer.

And they are NOT safe. Just do a google search for 'drowning followed by any beach on the list. The truth will appear before your eyes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/19/2019 at 10:08 AM, Joe Mcseismic said:

CPR is good if nothing else available, but, an automatic defibrillator is far, far more effective.

Stick a qualified medic on a quad-bike with emergency kit and defibrillator, is the best solution.

Yeah,  I agree up until the bit about the quad bike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...