Illness floods South

Some 242 mobile medical units had assisted flood victims in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat from November 19 to December 14. "Hong Kong foot" accounted for the largest proportion of patients, at 39 per cent, followed by flu at 32 per cent, while 1,900 people suffered severe stress and insomnia, said Public Health permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongwiroj. The ministry had responded by sending 134,000 sets of medical supplies to the region, he said, adding that locals wading through floodwater should watch out for the flulike symptoms of Leptospirosis.