The Thai Red Cross Society has shifted in full swing, taking up direct actions in providing relief packages and humanitarian assistance to victims, medical personnel, hospital staff, administrative officials and volunteers who are on the front line in containing the spread of COVID-19 after more than 600 people were tested positive in Samut Sakhon Province over the weekend.
Mr. Grisada Boonrach, Director of the Thai Red Cross Chapters Administration Office, said all Red Cross officials in Samut Sakhon and adjacent provinces and districts are engaged in a massive humanitarian effort to assist the local residents in the prime affected areas and to monitor the possible spread of the virus to nearby districts. “We are doing our part, which is humanitarian support
for the courageous men and women on the front line, risking their lives to contain the spread of COVID-19,” Mr. Grisada said. “This is a major challenge for Thailand. But I believe if everybody does his part, we can get through this together,” Mr. Grisada added. The majority of the 694 persons who were tested positive in Samut Sakhon were migrant workers.
Mr. Grisada insisted that this is a humanitarian concern, and officials and the public should not be concerned about ethnicities or nationalities of the victims because the virus knows no boundary. Director Grisada said the new wave of the outbreak suggested the likelihood of finding more infections stemming from the shrimp market where a 67-year-old Thai woman became the first to be detected with the virus earlier this week. Eight other infections have been linked to her, including three family members and five market workers, according to reports. Among the items distributed by the Thai Red Cross Society were 4,000 relief packages for families in the locked down communities. “This is just the first round. More relief packages are ready,” Mr. Grisada said.
Director Grisada expressed his appreciation for King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, for donating 2,000 PPE outfits and 10,000 N95 protective masks for medical personnel working in Samut Sakhon. The first batch of 10,000 protective masks was donated by the Charoen Pokphand Foundation, he said.
Founded in 1893, the Thai Red Cross Society is a national charitable organization undertaking humanitarian activities in keeping with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It strictly follows its core missions – grievance relief, quality of life promotion, disease treatment and suffering eradication. It serves public benefit and can be relied upon by people.
The Thai Red Cross Society’s Royal Patron is His Majesty the King while its President is Her Majesty Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother and its Executive Vice-President is Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.