Thailand’s Department of Health is proposing a new regulation which will require all pregnant women to work from home, to help curb COVID-19 infections and death rates among this vulnerable group.
Dr. Sophon Mekthon, assistant to the public health minister, said the proposal will be submitted to the Public Health Ministry’s committee on emergency medical and public health operations after the ministry discussed problems associated with caring for pregnant women, who face a COVID-19 death rate 2.5 times higher than most other people.
He said the main problem now is fear among pregnant women about the possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Another problem is that healthcare facilities, which offer prenatal care services, are failing to refer COVID-19 infected pregnant women to larger facilities capable of handling their deliveries.
A group of health advocates is also calling for better care of pregnant women during the pandemic, saying many infected women have been rejected by their prenatal care providers, who claim they were not able to handle deliveries for COVID-19 infected mothers.
