Thai Cabinet to discuss air pollution mitigation measures; cost govt RM394mil last year, says Health Ministry


Image from The Nation Thailand/ANN

BANGKOK (Agencies): Thailand's Public Health Ministry is set to convene a meeting to address the country's worsening air pollution, focusing on the high levels of PM2.5 fine particulate matter.

Its Minister, Somsak Thepsuthin, said the ministry's Committee on Occupational and Environmental Diseases, which he chairs, will meet tomorrow to formulate measures to mitigate the impact of PM2.5 pollution, reports Bernama.

"One of the key proposals is to allow nationwide work-from-home (WFH) arrangements," he told reporters at the Government House on Tuesday.

Somsak explained that the initiative aims to provide government agencies with a framework for deciding on WFH policies based on scientific evidence and public health data.

"Many agencies are hesitant to make such decisions independently. However, if the public sector takes the lead, I am confident that private companies will follow suit," he added.

Citing data from the University of Chicago, Somsak warned that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 levels rising from 37.5 microgrammes to an additional 10 microgrammes could shorten life expectancy by an average of 1.03 years.

He said the outcome of the meeting will be presented at the Cabinet meeting scheduled for Jan 28.

He also urged the public to wear N95 masks to protect themselves from harmful particulate matter.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson, Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, announced on Tuesday that the city would extend its WFH policy from Jan 22 to 24 to reduce air pollution caused primarily by heavy vehicular traffic, a significant source of PM2.5.

Aekvarunyoo revealed that air quality monitoring on Jan 20 and 21 showed PM2.5 levels exceeding safety standards across all 50 districts of Bangkok. Two districts recorded hazardous (red) levels, while the remaining 48 were classified as unhealthy (orange).

"As of now, 278 organisations, representing 96,307 individuals - 48 per cent of the target - have joined the WFH network. The BMA aims to increase participation to 200,000 and welcomes additional registrations via the provided links," he said.

Last Friday, the BMA called on government agencies, private sectors, and the public to adopt WFH practices on Jan 20 and 21 in anticipation of elevated PM2.5 pollution levels in the city.

The Nation Thailand, also reported that over 1 million people have been treated for health conditions linked to PM2.5 air pollution in the past fiscal year (October 2023-December 2024), costing the country around 3 billion baht in healthcare expenses, the Public Health Ministry said on Monday.

PM2.5 refers to dust particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, long-term exposure to which is linked with chronic diseases including lung and heart problems.

Minister Somsak said that a total of 1,048,015 people sought treatment for six PM2.5-related conditions over the 12 months, ranked as follows: Dermatitis (442,073 patients), conjunctivitis (357,104), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (226,423), asthma (18,336), acute coronary syndrome (4,051), and diseases from direct contact with air pollution (28).

The ministry said it spent around 3 billion baht (RM394 million) on healthcare to combat PM2.5 last year, 75% of which was for patient treatment and the rest for equipment such as facemasks and air purifiers.

Asthma costs around 2,752 baht per treatment, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute coronary syndrome cost up to 16,000 baht, said Somsak.

The smog crisis has worsened this year, with 64 of Thailand’s 76 provinces choked by unsafe levels of PM2.5 on Monday. - Agencies

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