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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#f0f0f0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=tblnewshead width="69%"></TD><TD vAlign=baseline width="31%"> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=tblnewshead colSpan=2>Public Health ministry 'drafts' pharmacists to monitor bird flu </TD></TR><TR><TD class=tblnewshead colSpan=2>BANGKOK, Aug 19 (TNA) ? Pharmacists and drugstore employees all over Thailand are being 'drafted' -- or at least encouraged to enlist in the government effort to contain bird flu -- as village public health
volunteers to help monitor the country's bird flu outbreak, Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat said Friday.
Mr. Pinij said that the nation's drugstores are places that can most easily check regarding the sickness of people as many people still self-prescribe drugs for their own treatment to cure their everyday illnesses.
One reason for the increasing number of patients who are being included in the bird flu watchlist each day is because the country is entering the rainy season, he said.
"A lot of people catch the flu from the change of weather, meanwhile, there is a seasonal outbreak of dengue fever. The symptoms of influenza, dengue fever, and bird flu are similar," Mr. Pinij said, "so the the authorities have to implement strict measures to monitor the bird flu epidemic."
The main locations for special monitoring are the hospitals and villages but they were not enough to ensure control of the outbreak, he said.
The Minister said there were still many people with illnesses who, instead visiting a doctor or hospital, buy drugs on their own when they felt unwell so the dispensaries asked to serve as village public health volunteers to monitor the bird flu outbreak in this way.
"Pharmacists at the drugstores must ask for details about each patient who buys drugs. If they are found to have contacted sick or dead poultry or live in areas where a large number of fowls died of unknown causes, the pharmacists will recommend the patients to meet the doctor immediately," he said. (TNA)-E003
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=24190
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volunteers to help monitor the country's bird flu outbreak, Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat said Friday.
Mr. Pinij said that the nation's drugstores are places that can most easily check regarding the sickness of people as many people still self-prescribe drugs for their own treatment to cure their everyday illnesses.
One reason for the increasing number of patients who are being included in the bird flu watchlist each day is because the country is entering the rainy season, he said.
"A lot of people catch the flu from the change of weather, meanwhile, there is a seasonal outbreak of dengue fever. The symptoms of influenza, dengue fever, and bird flu are similar," Mr. Pinij said, "so the the authorities have to implement strict measures to monitor the bird flu epidemic."
The main locations for special monitoring are the hospitals and villages but they were not enough to ensure control of the outbreak, he said.
The Minister said there were still many people with illnesses who, instead visiting a doctor or hospital, buy drugs on their own when they felt unwell so the dispensaries asked to serve as village public health volunteers to monitor the bird flu outbreak in this way.
"Pharmacists at the drugstores must ask for details about each patient who buys drugs. If they are found to have contacted sick or dead poultry or live in areas where a large number of fowls died of unknown causes, the pharmacists will recommend the patients to meet the doctor immediately," he said. (TNA)-E003
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=24190
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!---------------- End query ------------------>