BANGKOK (Sputnik) — As many as 69 hospitals in Thailand, specializing on bird flu and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), are prepared to counter the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Saturday.
"We have 69 hospitals that deal with bird flu and SARS. At present, a new goal was added to their activities: receipt of patients suspected of being infected with MERS. There is everything needed to diagnose the disease and prevent its spread in these hospitals," Chan-o-cha said at a press briefing.
Answering the question on whether he was confident in the effectiveness of the undertaken measures, Chan-o-cha said that everything possible is done to contain the virus outbreak.
MERS is a viral respiratory disease caused by the MERS-coronavirus. The infection was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and subsequently spread to other countries.
There is no vaccine for MERS so far.
