Although the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Thailand seems to be improving, and the government is easing lockdown measures, the public should continue to follow government guidelines. To strengthen hospitals’ readiness, Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited provided a total of 100,000 KN95 medical masks, designed to prevent droplets and small particles, to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH). Of these, 50,000 masks will be given to KCMH medical staff, while the remaining 50,000 will be distributed to other hospitals in need in order to reduce the risk of transmission and protect frontline workers against COVID-19.

Mr. Sitamon Ratanavadi, stated, on behalf of Mr. Sarath Ratanavadi, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, “The company realized that there are still a number of hospitals that need and lack medical masks. Gulf Group remains committed to supporting medical workers. Thus far, Gulf Group has helped various sectors improve their readiness in coping with COVID-19 and has also helped ease the difficulties of people affected by the crisis. The company continues to move forward in its endeavor to provide tangible support to groups affected by this pandemic.”

“There are lessons to be learned from the many countries around the world that have lifted lockdown restrictions and experienced a rise in cases. Therefore, as the government has considered easing the lockdown, coupled with rainy season and the beginning of the school term, citizens like us must still maintain discipline and avoid complacency to keep the situation under control in the long term so that healthcare workers will not have to work too hard. Gulf group would therefore like to ask for everyone’s co-operation in demonstrating social responsibility by taking care of their health and strictly following disease prevention and control measures,” said, Mr. Boonchai Thirati, Executive Director, Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited.

Meanwhile Professor Suttipong Wacharasindhu, M.D, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, highlighted, “The medical mask is like our medical personnel’s weapon, since it does not only protect us against COVID-19 but also prevents the transmission of other contagious respiratory diseases. So even though the overall number of infections is lower, we should not drop our guard. We still have to protect against these diseases. The hospital would like to thank Gulf Group for donating these masks which will be helpful to all healthcare workers.”

Assoc. Prof. Chanchai Sittipunt, MD, Associate Dean for Planning and Development, Chulalongkorn University, added, “The COVID-19 crisis has taught us how to deal with the situation and protect ourselves in advance. In the future, there will be new situations like this. We need to be cautious and protect ourselves from the beginning in case there is a new disease, not COVID-19, in the future. We are entering a new era of the “new normal” which is a good lesson for people to give more importance to health and hygiene.”

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gulf Group has supported and launched various projects, worth over 50 million baht in total, including supporting the procurement of medical equipment for the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Rajavithi Hospital, Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, the Central Chest Institute of Thailand, the Police General Hospital and Buddhachinaraj Hospital; providing alcohol sanitizing gel to small hospitals in Pattani and Yala provinces; and donating cloth face masks to sub-district health screening teams in 10 provinces. In addition, Gulf Group has pledged to provide over 150,000 meals to poor urban communities across Bangkok and has partnered with EGAT to provide survival kits for people in Nonthaburi province. Gulf’s aid initiatives have also extended to Thai elephants suffering during the pandemic through donations to the Aob Chang project. Gulf Group remains committed to supporting national efforts to alleviate the effects of COVID-19 in Thailand.