• 
• 

Published on November 12, 2007

The ministry is worried that people in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat will not trust medical workers and refuse to go to these healthcare units for treatment.

Dr Pongpisuth Jong-udom, head of the Health System Research Institute (HSRI), said medical workers at healthcare units in the three southernmost provinces had told him during a visit that most local people still trust them and consider them neutral.

However, they fear that if the Army establishes bases in healthcare units it will affect their trust and make people reluctant to seek treatment.

Moreover, Pongpisuth does not want the military to use medical workers to gather intelligence on the insurgents from patients. It will be dangerous for them and the local people will not trust them anymore, he said.

"We don't want to people to think we are taking sides with any group," he said "We have to treat all people, no matter who they are."

HSRI records show that a number of medical workers, health volunteers and healthcare units have been affected since the violence broke out in January 2004.

As of August 31 this year, 12 medical workers and 32 health volunteers had been killed, and 22 medical workers and 9 health volunteers had been injured in insurgent attacks in the three southernmost provinces and four adjacent districts of Songkhla. Ten healthcare units were burned down in the same period.

Also, a HSRI survey of 55 doctors working in the three southernmost provinces found that that 87 per cent felt unsafe working in the region and 93 per cent felt the violence had affected their families.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation