April 15, 2021 – Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University, with Assoc. Prof. Piansak Pakdee, Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relation; Asst. Prof. Arwut Yimtae, Vice President for Infrastructure and Environment; Assoc. Prof. Somsak Tiiamkao, Deputy Director of Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University; Asst. Prof. Dr. Somphong Sithiprom, Assistant to the President for University Security; Ajarn Natsamol Tanakulrungsarit, Assistant to the President for Special Affairs; administrators and staff welcomed Dr. Somsak Jungtrakoon, Khon Kaen Governor, Dr. Somchaichot Piyawatwela, Khon Kaen Public Health Officer and the Contagious Disease Prevention Committee of Khon Kaen, who made a visit at Dormitory No. 26 of Khon Kaen University – a place chosen as the first field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Khon Kaen.
Dr. Somsak Jungtrakoon, Khon Kaen Governor said, “The first field hospital in Khon Kaen – KKU dormitory No. 26 – is fully equipped and ready for accepting Covid-19 patients. The principle behind management of the patients is to use the place to the fullest extent and to manage the place by bearing in mind that all of the resources are from the people’s tax. This field hospital is another pride of Khon Kaen and cooperation from all sectors to lessen the load of the hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health. I hope that KKU professors, staff, and students will understand that we have to live together in the place where Covid-19 spreads. We will help one another to our fullest capacity to make the disease contained to reach the government’s aims.”
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul ensured the safety measures of KKU. “KKU is a public institute with readiness to support the country in time of crisis. The Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation has ordered all universities in the country to use their resources to assist the country. Therefore, our university has cooperated with Khon Kaen Governor, and Khon Kaen Cantagious Disease Prevention Committee, who supported the modifying of Dormitory No. 26 into a field hospital based on the standards of the Ministry of Public Health Ministry. We also cooperated with Khon Kaen Central Hospital to apply the measures and standards of the Ministry so that the place is safe for use. The different spots have been assigned, waste management has been planned so that no impact will arise to those living nearby. The standards we observe are the same as the standards used worldwide for field hospitals, such as at Wuhan, China, where the first three field hospitals were established, in France, England, the US, and in Samutsakorn in Thailand. With the standards used, there has been no report made on people contracting Covid-19 from these hospitals. We can therefore be sure that our field hospital will not lead to any impact related to the spread of the disease to students and staff.”
In terms of medical care and treatment for Covid-19 patients, Assoc. Prof. Somsak Tiiamkao, Deputy Director of Srinagarind Hospital, as the Director of the Field Hospital 1 (Dorm 26) made the following assurance, “The pandemic during April, 2021 is very wide, with the number of patients in each hospital increasing tremendously, while normal patients are still hospitalized. Therefore, it is the duty of all key hospitals such as Khon Kaen Central Hospital, Srinagarind, and Community hospitals to accept all Covid-19 patients, who need to stay in hospital for at least 14 days in order not to spread the virus if they go out. With the rapid increase of the number of patients, a lot of beds are needed at each of the said hospitals, with impact on the other patients, reduced services, or many are not able to receive their regular service. Covid-19 patients are divided into 3 groups: severe cases who must be in negative-pressure rooms; medium-severity cases who need oxygenation, and the cases with no symptoms, or just coughing and minor sore throat. A field hospital therefore is necessary to receive the patients, who have been treated and diagnosed in order to solve their problems until they recover and are safe before they can be moved to the field hospital so that the main hospitals can receive serious cases and other patients.”
………….“The principle of a field hospital is that there are the health professionals, including specialists, general physicians, nurses, assistant nurses, pharmacists. It can be said that we move the hospital and the hospital standards to make the place free from pathogens, manage wastes and the environment. These are all duplicated from the main hospital; therefore, all can be assured of the safety for the patients and those living near the field hospital. The place will be a close buidling. We carefully and clearly make the layout of the entrance and exit of vehicles, patients, those providing services and officers. We sterilize everything, water waste and wastes based on the toxic waste management standards. All are cooperated by Khon Kaen hospitals, health centers and municipality. The field hospital is really necessary under the present situation. The field hospital will be safe for everyone and the environment. Personnel who provide security will be on guard around the clock to ensure standards of safety for the patients, the staff and the community around the hospital.”
Assoc. Prof. Piansak Pakdee added about the concern over the students and staff. “The use of Dorm No. 26 as the field Hospital will be under the strict measures for safety among the students living in Dorms No. 3 and 4. We have blocked the areas from the dorms for safety of the students living there, using iron-bar fencing. There will be officers on guard all day and night. The passage for patient admission and the walkway of students living in the dorms are separated. A passage behind Dorm 26 will be used for patients’ entrance and exit. Dorms 3, 4 are over 15 meters from Dorm 26, so we can be sure of the safety.”
…………The setting of Dorm 26 as a field hospital for Covid-19 patients is because of the reason that this dorm is clearly separated from other dorms, and so meets the standard of the Ministry of Public Health. Khon Kaen University has the safety measures set by regulating the entrance and exit, setting the communication with WiFi to facilitate the patients. Khon Kaen University sees the importance in helping the country undergo this crisis successfully, by doing the best to look after the security and safety of the students, personnel and people living nearby, including the environment.
News: Wachara Noichompoo
Photos: Wachara Noichompoo, Charnchai Lada
