Twenty botulism patients in serious condition will be airlifted from Nan to Bangkok today, the Medical Services Department's director-general Dr Chatri Banchuen said yesterday.

The Royal Thai Air Force will provide C130 aircraft for the patient transfer.

"We believe this is the best option," Chatri said.

Currently, there are 42 patients on respirators at Nan Hospital and most of them will need constant medical supervision for up to two months during which time complications such as lung and urinary-tract infections may arise.

Nan Hospital has been treating a further 45 botulism patients whose conditions are not critical.

"The great number of patients has put the hospital under strain. We believe it is better to move the patients to Bangkok where medical facilities have greater capacity to treat the patients," Chatri said.

Rajvithi, Lerdsin and Siriraj hospitals in Bangkok are among the facilities that will take charge of the patients.

Deputy Public Health Minister Anutin Charnveerakul estimated that up to 30 patients would have to be transferred to Bangkok.

Nan public-health chief Dr Pisit Sriprasert said local hospitals in his province discharged four botulism patients yesterday after their conditions satisfactorily improved. He added that there were no more people being admitted with botulism.

"We have also invited two people who survived botulism in 1998 to talk to current patients and their relatives so that they have more courage and know that it can be cured," he added.

In 1998, 13 residents of Nan were diagnosed with botulism. Two have since died.

Botulism re-emerged when locals ate contaminated bamboo shoots at a merit-making ceremony last Tuesday. More than 160 people have since been rushed to hospital with the disease.

This form of botulism, clostridium botulinum, is so dangerous that it could potentially be used a biological weapon.

To save patients' lives, the government has imported 80 doses of Botulinum Antitoxin serum from overseas and is planning to purchase more doses as a preparation in case of emergencies.

"Japan has agreed to provide us with extra doses," Disease Control Department's director-general Thawat Suntrajarn said.

Duangkamon  Sajirawattanakul

The Nation