The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DoTTAM) have launched a mobile unit in Lampang province on Wednesday to offer assistance to Long Covid patients using Thai traditional herbs.
The treatment will be offered for free and is available nationwide.
The cost is being covered by a 246-million-baht budget from central government.
According to the department’s director-general Dr. Thiti Sawaengtham, at least 400,000 people in the country are experiencing post-Covid-19 syndrome which could happen after a patient has been cured of the virus after one month. Patients will experience symptoms such as stress, fatigue, insomnia, appetite loss, coughing despite the fact that their lungs have already recovered from the virus, with these conditions remaining up to six months.
Dr. Thiti said that herbal and modern treatments can help cure these problems. Many herbal formulas exist that are useful in alleviating these symptoms, such as medicine using cannabis oil as a foundation ingredient, which can counteract sleepiness and loss of appetite. He advised patients to see traditional and alternative medicine specialists because some herbal treatments require a prescription, and patients may exhibit a combination of symptoms that require a diagnosis.
The director-general urged Long Covid patients to contact nearby DoTTAM clinics or public hospitals for treatment.
On January 14, the department met with herbal specialists from all over Thailand to provide them with information on dispensing treatment to Long Covid patients. Anyone struggling with the lingering after-effects of a Covid-19 infection should contact their nearest DoTTAM clinic or any government hospital with a traditional medicine department.
The department will also offer a consultancy service via the Line app, with the medicine then dispatched to patients’ homes.
