Tak hospitals can accommodate refugees, says Public Health Minister

Hospitals in Tak province are still able to take care of refugees from Myanmar, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said on Wednesday.

His remark came after a complaint by an infectious disease physician at Mae Sot Hospital on her Facebook page, who has planned to quit due to issues over the management of refugee camps.

Nuttagarn Chuenchom explained that medical staff in the province have been ordered to take care of refugees despite insufficient personnel to take care of patients at their hospital.She claimed that the government should take responsibility for the management of refugee camps, noting that the number of refugees affected by the unrest in Myanmar is equal to the population of one district.

“In the long term, we need to talk about amending refugee laws properly and push them back to their original country,” she said.In this regard, Somsak explained that there are three refugee camps in the Tha Song Yang, Phop Phra and Umphang districts of Tak province.

He said that he understands the physician’s concern over a large number of refugees, but confirmed that hospitals in the province can handle them.

“The Public Health Ministry has to offer humanitarian assistance,” he said, adding that the ministry has a responsibility to take action in terms of government-level talks.

(2025/02/05-00:00)