Phuket Gets Ready to Handle Natural Disasters

(20/04/2012)

The Phuket Provincial Administration has come up with measures to handle emergency situations and help residents and tourists in times of natural disasters. Handbooks on earthquakes will be published following the model of Japan’s survival guide and distributed to the public. The handbooks will guide people on how to prepare, how to be aware of dangers, and what to do during natural disasters. A radio communication center will also be set up at the Phuket Town Hall to serve as an emergency broadcasting unit in case of contingency situations and natural disasters. Phuket Deputy Governor Somkiat Sangkaosutthirak said that the Phuket Provincial Administration was able to deal with natural disasters promptly, especially in times of temblors. He added that he would draw up a plan to solve the problem of communication disruption during the earthquakes with the establishment of the main radio communication center. He will seek cooperation from all relevant agencies. The Ministry of Public Health has recently adjusted its medical and public health services on the island of Phuket to cope with tremors after the recent earthquake that occurred near Sumatra in Indonesia on 11 April 2012, measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale. Phuket is one of Thailand’s prime tourism destinations and the country’s second most important direct access gateway. It accommodates over 500 domestic, regional and international flights a week. Each year, the island attracts numerous domestic and international visitors, generating an estimated one billion baht in income. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health assigned the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand to keep monitoring the situation around the clock and to coordinate with Emergency Medical Services teams. It also requested every hospital under its supervision, both in Phuket and in nearby provinces, to hold patient transfer drills, in preparation for emergency situations. Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri assigned each province in quake risk areas, including southern, northern, and central provinces, to set up command centers responsible for taking care of and transferring patients. The southern earthquake risk areas are Krabi, Chumphon, Phang-nga, Phuket, Ranong, Songkla, and Surat Thani.