The Ministry of Public Health on Tuesday ordered the urgent air evacuation of 90 patients from Hat Yai Hospital, as floodwaters continued to rise and threatened to cripple operations at the facility.
Patients were transferred to nearby major hospitals to ensure continuous treatment, with medical teams coordinating the operation under emergency protocols.
Dr Somrerk Jungsaman, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said that Hat Yai Hospital, a ministry-run facility, worked throughout Tuesday to evacuate critically and seriously ill patients via air transport.
Oxygen tanks were also delivered to support those who remained, with supplies expected to last at least 24 hours.
The operation prioritised the most vulnerable patients. Fifty critically ill individuals were transferred first, 20 to Songklanagarind Hospital and 10 each to Songkhla Hospital, Phatthalung Hospital, and Pattani Hospital.
Helicopters from multiple agencies participated in the effort, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Royal Thai Army, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and a medical transport helicopter from Pattani Hospital.
With floodwaters nearly two metres deep around the hospital, helicopters landed directly on the rooftop to collect patients.
According to Dr Somrerk, the airlift was carried out with assistance from emergency medical teams and certified air-transport technicians who are trained for crisis situations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin said that four to five small helicopters from his ministry also delivered food and water to the hospital.
Additionally, ten boats and forest rangers from national parks were deployed to assist with rescue and evacuation efforts. One of the patients transferred early Tuesday morning was a newborn baby, he confirmed.
To address growing medical needs caused by the flooding, the Ministry of Public Health is preparing to send 20 internists, 20 paediatricians, and 40 to 50 nurses to Songkhla in the coming days.
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat added that the electricity supply at Hat Yai Hospital remained unstable.
By Tuesday morning, the first medical support team had arrived from Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital, consisting of four doctors, ten nurses, and a team from the Department of Medical Services.
On Tuesday afternoon, an additional group of 20 technicians from the Department of Health Service Support was dispatched to reinforce operations.
