Deputy Minister for Public Health at KKU to discuss LiverCARE

The Deputy Minister for Public Health visited KKU on May 12, 2012 to discuss strategy on how to reduce the incidence of liver flukes and cholangiocarcinoma which occurs regularly in the northeastern part of Thailand. The Minister also discussed support for the Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center (LiverCARE) with KKU faculty.

Surawit Khonsomboon, the Deputy Minister of PublicHealth was accompanied by Dr. Somchai Nijpanich, Deputy Permanent Secretary of State for PublicHealth and delegates where he met with KKU President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kittichai Triratanasirichai, Prof. Dr. Pisek Lumphiganond, the Dean of the Facultyof Medicine, KKU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pisarn Mairieng, Head of Science of Medicine, Department, Asst. Prof. Dr.  Narong Khanteekaew, a lecturer to the Surgery Department, and Assoc. Prof. Dr.  Sriwiang Pairojkul, a lecturer to the InfantMedical Science Department,

Attending the meeting were alsothe KKU faculty administrators, local organizations including Khon Kaen municipality, Khon Kaen Provincial Administration Organization, and Tambon Administration organizations. The meeting was titled “On how to reduce the patient numbers of  Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma diseases,” which are predominant in the Isaan region.

More than 200 people joined the meeting to seek measures to reduce patient numbers and develop quality of life and palliative care.

The Deputy Minister for Public Heath Surawit Khonsomboon has given significant attention to policy and strategy to help solve the disease problem, adding that these have proved successful, if working in cooperationwith education tochangethe consumption behavior by eating only cooked food and not raw food.

He added that the Public Health Ministry will launch a project to search for those patients of Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma disease for free operations at area hospitals in honorof Their Majesties the King and Queen’s birthdays and HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday this year.

This project will be run from August 12 – July 31. The Ministry of Public Health will also launch a promotional campaign to help save the Isaan people in 20 northeastern  provinces from these  diseases by changing their consumption behavior,  to eat only cooked food to prevent these diseases.