Introducing to Volunteers Call No. 1165, first volunteer generation of Thailand

Thanyarak Institute has opened the cooperation center via line No. 1165 for 24 hours in order to provide the services. Its services are briefly such as coordinating with drug abusers for the treatment both in control and out of control of Ministry of Health and consulting with providing information relating to the drug for either family who has any member getting involved in or public sectors.

From opening the services for 9 years, there have been many users increasing continually. 2007, there were 4,550 calls; 1,530 calls or 33% for consulting about addicted amphetamine treatment and 1,074 calls or 23.69% for addicted alcohol treatment. 2008, there were 4,626 calls; 2,268 calls or 49.03% for addicted amphetamine treatment and 860 calls or 18.59% for addicted alcohol treatment. Finally, 2009, there were 5,046 calls; 2,932 calls or 58.11% for addicted amphetamine treatment and 867 calls or 17.18 % for addicted alcohol treatment. Therefore, from 2006 up to present, there are 27,447 calls increasingly. As the result, “Volunteers Helps Drug Abuse call No. 1165” was established.

Mr.Rewat Wisarutwet, Director-General of Department of Medical Services revealed to Siamrath Newspaper that now, there are many services through call center 1165 established by Thanyarak Institute, Department of Medical Services. The services of Call Center 1165 have been offered via many ways of possible communications such as automatically information answered system, facsimiles, electronic mail and website (www.thanyarak.co.th). In order to increase ability of the center, there is an establishment of group of volunteers call no. 1165. This group will help basically the drug or addicted substance abusers in the community nearby or they coordinate with 1165 or 1669 (Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand) to send these drug abusers to be treated in the next steps at the hospitals. There are 100 volunteers from many sectors such as Polices 191, Mass Relation Polices, Home Polices, Volunteer Paramedics 1669, Prachabodi Center 1300, the Gratitude Foundation, Poh Teck Tung Foundation, Local Radio Agency, Agency of Local Administrative Organization and Volunteers from Public Health Organization in Pathumthani Province.

“In this time, Thanyarak Institute conducted the training courses for the volunteers 1165 about relevant brain drug disease, solution skill, basic helps, negotiation skill and transportation the patients to the hospitals. From the trend of increasing drug abusers, it leads to believe that there must be a plan to annually confer the network and build another network for 3 groups in each year too in order that they will be able to partially help the government sectors”, Director-General of Department of Medical Services said.

In this time, there are many students participating in this group of volunteers. One of them is Mr. Supanat Thitikarn, 24 year old, the fourth year student from Faculty of Industrial Education, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. His volunteer job in every evening after finishing the studying class is a volunteer paramedic at Bua Pet Foundation. The reason of this participation is because of the case of the 36 year old man who had addicted the drug suffered from injuring themselves fatally after the null negotiation. From that, he promised with himself to contribute his life to help the community leading him to participating in this group and this training. So, he would like to learn about the negotiation skill and consulting skill in order to help the drug abusers.

Pol.Lt.Col. Choochart Meesang, working at News Center 191, revealed his reason to participate in this training that he joined this training because its benefits would be able to increase his skills and ability to his work. Now, his work also relates to job receiving a call and giving consults to people’s problem, but, unfortunately, he has not had enough information in his hand. For instance, there is a case of a female desiring to consult the way to help her son after she found him addicting the drug, but, she could not get any useful answer. So, since this training project existed, he decided to join in order to know more about more information relevant.

Therefore, every volunteer is important to play a virtue role with government sectors in helping the drug abusers to crime up from the hell of drugs.

Translated by Mr. Suraporn Onputtha