As Thailand’s medical system struggles under a surge of COVID-19 cases, ordinary people are helping to plug the gaps, risking their own health to bring supplies to patients unable to access professional help.
In the Sai Mai district of Bangkok, a volunteer group called “Sai Mai Will Survive” is being run off its feet by around a hundred SOS calls a day from desperate COVID-19 infected people unable to get the help they need.
The Sai Mai Will Survive group was founded during the first COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand, with only 4 or 5 members. In August last year, they launched their official Facebook page, as they thought that COVID-19 would be around for a long time. Today, they have around 100 volunteers who are ready to help people in Sai Mai district. The district and neighboring area hasa population of around 200,000 people.