Bangkok, Jul 27 (AP) Authorities in Thailand began transporting some people, who tested positive for the coronavirus, from Bangkok to their hometowns on Tuesday for isolation and treatment to alleviate the burden on the capital's overwhelmed medical system.

A train carrying more than 100 patients and medical workers in full protective gear left the city for the northeastern part of the country.

It will drop patients off in seven provinces, where they will be met by health officials and taken to hospitals.

Medical authorities in Bangkok on Monday said that all ICU beds for COVID-19 patients at public hospitals were full and that some of the sick were being treated in emergency rooms. Officials said they have asked army medics to help out at civilian hospitals.

“These are patients from Bangkok, who haven't received treatment in hospitals. We want to bring them to doctors in their hometowns. And the travelling process is controlled all through the journey,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who was on hand to watch the operation.

“We will continue this service until no COVID-19 patients who cannot get beds in Bangkok are left,” he said.

He said buses, vans and even aircraft might be deployed to send people back to less badly affected provinces.

Thailand initially kept coronavirus cases in check but outbreaks have flared in recent months.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's government is facing harsh criticism over its handling of a delta variant-fueled surge and slow vaccination programme, amid reports of people dying in the streets or in their homes while waiting for treatment.

Of Thailand's total of nearly 5,00,000 confirmed cases and more than 4,000 fatalities, 137,263 cases and 2,176 deaths have been reported from Bangkok. Most of the 4,451 COVID-19 beds in the city of about 15 million people, are occupied by those with mild or no symptoms. Hospitals are beginning to urge such patients to isolate at home or in community isolation centers.

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said the city government would coordinate with the State Railway to install 240 beds in 15 railway carriages in a maintenance shed in the city's huge Bang Sue station as a “pre-admission center" for coronavirus patients without symptoms.

He visited the station on Tuesday to inspect the carriages and said they should be ready for use by Friday.

The government said supplies of medical oxygen are sufficient and manufacturers have been asked to ensure enough is available. But people ill with coronavirus who are unable to find places for treatment are not always able to get supplemental oxygen.

Meanwhile, some temples in the devoutly Buddhist country have begun to offer free cremations as the number of deaths rises, the government said. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)