To prepare for a COVID-19 presence that may be prolonged, Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation or MHESI, has brought together government and private sectors to develop applications and innovations to cope with the crisis.

Thailand's Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Suvit Maesincee (Photo: thainews.prd.go.th)

Together they have launched the “DDC-Care” mobile application that enables the Department of Disease Control to track individuals at risk.

The Minister of MHESI, Suvit Maesincee has discussed with the deans of the faculties of medicine, directors of hospitals, and medical schools from all over the country, appropriate preparations to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Thailand.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated COVID-19 to a Pandemic, many countries have taken more intense measures to develop an anti-COVID-19 vaccine. Thailand has also stepped up efforts to reduce the virus spread rate.

To monitor and check risk groups, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) together with the Department of Disease Control, the Immigration Bureau, the Digital Government Development Agency, Thammasat University, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) and Thailand Tech Startup Association (TTSA) developed the DDC-Care application for the Department of Disease Control and Immigration Bureau, for use as a system to monitor and assess people at risk of contracting COVID-19.

Under the provisions of the Communicable Disease Act 2015, government agencies are expected to start using the app at over 50 immigration checkpoints by March 16.

Source: VNA