The prototype of the first field hospital in Thailand is here at Thammasat Field Hospital. From the beginning, there were only 308 beds, but now there are 470 beds.
In the previous episode, after we listened to the story of the beginning of the response to COVID-19 of medical personnel and the use of the heart to work from Phi Waen or Ms. Prisana Patumonan, Director of Nursing,
Now, the admin will take us to get to know the first field hospital in Thailand. How did it come to be? And why is Thammasat Field Hospital a model for field hospitals in other current fields?
Admin will take everyone to meet Asst. Prof. Dr. Chatchai Mingmalairak, Director of Thammasat Field Hospital. Asst. Prof. Dr. Chatchai will tell us that from the first day, there were only 308 beds, to today’s support for COVID-19 patients, there are up to 470 beds. What has happened in the past?
Why do we need field hospitals?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chatchai Mingmalairak, Director of Thammasat Field Hospital, told us that if the main hospital accepted all COVID-19 patients, the hospital would be full and other patients might be affected as well. The hospital therefore came up with the idea of turning the building into a field hospital, bringing in medical personnel to help, and thus Thammasat Field Hospital was born to accommodate COVID-19 patients who were asymptomatic to those who were symptomatic but not severe. If they had severe symptoms, they would be sent to the main hospital. Having a field hospital frees up the main hospital and is always ready to accept patients with severe symptoms.
“We accept every COVID-19 patient, every case, into our hospital.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chatchai said that one of the proud achievements of medical personnel in the fight against COVID-19 in Thailand is controlling the infection and having a lower mortality rate for COVID-19 patients than other countries. At present, the only countries that can do this are China and Thailand.
Having field hospitals allows Thailand to have a treatment model that accepts all COVID-19 patients for treatment in the hospital. No matter how severe or mild the symptoms are, you all have the right to be under close medical care. The infection control was therefore carried out quickly and eventually stopped the spread of infection among people in the country in the first round.
“Is 308 beds a lucky number?”
Another interesting thing about Thammasat Field Hospital is that it has 308 beds. Many people often ask, is it intentional that there will only be 308 beds?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chatchai told us that the truth is that the place that the hospital changed to accommodate COVID-19 patients used to be a dormitory with a total of 308 rooms. The hospital therefore changed all the rooms to be a field hospital. And because the number ending with 8 gives it a lucky feeling, which is also good.
Misunderstandings about the image of field hospitals that people see in various media
The view of outsiders who look into Thammasat Field Hospital, most think that it doesn’t look good, it doesn’t look safe because the media that comes out doesn’t really show all sides of the work.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chatchai told us that in fact, Thammasat Field Hospital has set up a standard control system for both patients and all related personnel. We evaluate every day, inspect everything from patients, personnel, to waste from the hospital. Even wastewater or wastewater discharged from Thammasat Field Hospital must be treated to be safe first.
“Between a market near home and a field hospital near home, the field hospital is safer.”
The reason is that COVID is only scary when we don’t know who is sick or who has been infected. But in the field hospital, we know who is sick, so we can protect ourselves from getting infected. But if it’s in the market, there may be COVID-19 patients walking around shopping, passing each other, without us knowing. This is where the risk arises and there are a lot of infections from these causes.
The real problem with this disease is mental, not physical.
Most COVID-19 patients tend to have more severe mental symptoms than physical symptoms. After being infected, patients will experience high levels of stress, which comes from worrying about various things, such as “Will I die?”, “How will my children live?”, or “What will happen to my family?”
Thammasat Field Hospital recognizes this problem. Therefore, we have set up a team of psychiatrists to provide assistance and counseling to heal the mental state of all COVID-19 patients.
The scary thing is the transmission, not the symptoms.
If we compare COVID-19 with other diseases, COVID-19 has milder symptoms than other diseases. But what makes it so scary is that the virus spreads so quickly and can be easily transmitted. Just standing in line to buy things next to each other or touching each other can easily cause COVID infection.
Therefore, we need field hospitals to control all COVID-19 patients so that they cannot spread the virus to others. If we can control the spread of the virus, we only need to have enough resources, whether it be personnel, beds, medicine, or vaccines, we can completely cure COVID-19.
Prototype model of field hospital
Thammasat Field Hospital is a model for other field hospitals because when someone is infected with COVID-19 in an area, that area will have a field hospital based on the Thammasat Field Hospital model to control the spread of COVID-19.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chatchai said that field hospitals will remain until the number of patients decreases. If the number of patients increases again, field hospitals can be opened again because “field hospitals are a perfect management of resources” to help control and suppress the spread of COVID-19.
After we have learned the story of the origin of Thammasat Field Hospital, the admin will take us to get to know Thammasat Field Hospital from the perspective of Khun Kook or Ms. Natthanaree Saengchan, a professional nurse who has worked at Thammasat Field Hospital since its inception.
The initial intention of establishing Thammasat Field Hospital
Khun Kook, Ms. Natnaree, told us that Thammasat Field Hospital was established to help in various areas where COVID-19 outbreaks occurred. Originally, field hospitals were established in areas where outbreaks occurred. At that time, Samut Sakhon Province was experiencing a severe outbreak of COVID-19, which led the group of executives to agree on establishing Thammasat Field Hospital to help in all areas where COVID-19 outbreaks occurred.
“Just say that you will open a field hospital and we will be ready to open it within 24 hours.”
When deciding to open, Thammasat University Hospital arranged for personnel, teams, medical equipment, and locations. Some jobs were closed or reduced to bring in personnel from various departments to help because Thammasat Field Hospital was not only opened to treat COVID-19, but also to take care of the “body, mind, and society” of all patients.
All personnel are personnel from Thammasat University Hospital, most of whom volunteer with their hearts and truly want to perform their duties in this area, whether they are doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, social workers, and other staff. When everyone comes to work with their hearts, the work can move forward quickly because everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.
“Each person, come a little bit. If we have the same heart, we can do it.”
Khun Kook , Ms. Natnaree, told us that in this work, all personnel are important. Every team appreciates each other, helps each other, and encourages each other, no matter who they are or what their position is. Even on holidays, everyone is ready to sacrifice their personal time to help the team so that the work can move forward. All of us are proud to be a part of driving Thammasat Field Hospital to fight COVID-19.
Conclusion
Thammasat Field Hospital was established with the willingness to serve and care for all COVID-19 patients. Medical personnel and housewives are proud to be on the frontlines fighting COVID-19 and affirm that they will fight together with everyone until COVID-19 is gone. From the day there were only 308 beds, it has now reached 470 beds because we believe that “If we work together, we will be able to get through this together.”
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Follow the story behind the crisis and the actions of medical personnel at Thammasat University Hospital in dealing with the COVID situation in the program Unmask Story, stories behind the masks of medical personnel at Thammasat University Hospital.
Count one to become a model of field hospital | Thammasat University Hospitalติ
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