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When there's been a serious accident in town, who should you call? Why, the police of course. After the police have been notified, what happens next? If you have ever been at the scene of an accident, you might have noticed white ambulances and trucks with Chinese and Thai writing on them. In fact, these don't actually belong to the police or even the Thai government for that matter. A majority of all injuries and deaths are actually handled by non-government volunteers working for charitable foundations. The two most established and organized foundations of such are Portektung and Ruamkatanu.
In Bangkok, the responsibility of the two foundations is split into two zones: Northern and Southern Bangkok. Every 24 hours (two 12 hour shifts), Portektung and Ruamkatanu will swap zones. On-call volunteers are alert to all the traffic and police radios, so whenever there is a serious accident, they will usually be the first on the scene. In each separate province, there are smaller foundations funded and/or based directly on Portektung and Ruamkatanu.
All such foundations are non-profit, meaning all funding is either private or from charity. And so, a majority of its members are volunteers with no salary at all, who simply care and want to make a difference. Many people assume that Portektung and Ruamkatanu are just a bunch of Chinese people who go around collecting dead bodies. In fact, collecting dead bodies is only a small part of the work and responsibility for Emergency rescue workers. Other emergency public services include free 24 hour ambulance and all sorts of humane projects across the country such as school-house and temple construction. Additionally, they provide supply relief and support for distressed flood, disaster, and poverty victims. During the Tsunami, Ruamkatanu and Portektung played a vital role in organizing and executing the search and rescue operations.
While the organizational roots are Chinese, most of the members today are either ethnic Chinese and/or Thai. NJ got an exclusive interview with one of the most renowned Ruamkatanu volunteers, which happens not to be Chinese or Thai.
Marko Andrew Cunningham has been living in Thailand for three and a half years. He was born in Liverpool but grew up in New Zealand. There he was a volunteer for the Auxiliary Police, or Emergency Disaster Rescue squad for five years. Shortly after moving to Thailand to become a University lecturer in 2002, he went on a volunteer expedition with Ruamkatnu to bring supplies to flood victims in Saraburi.
Since then, he has balanced his time between lecturing and (non-paid) Ruamkatanu work. With innumerable amount of hours of service towards the organization, he has received his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate, and was a major help for two weeks with the Emergency Rescue Squad during the Tsunami, collecting and handling thousands of corpses. For such work, the Thailand ministry of culture awarded him the prestigious "Thailand Kindness Movement" medal and award.
Though Marko has handled thousands of corpses, it is not something he prefers. "Nowadays I work in the ambulance and much prefer to aid accident victims then handle dead bodies. I think I've done enough of that for a lifetime, now I have a chance to change or save someone's life everyday and I love that feeling." Marko stresses that being a emergency rescue volunteer can be demanding work. He funds his work with Ruamkatanu from his own pocket and rarely has time for anything else. "I became so involved with helping other people, even my girlfriend left me as I had no time for her. All I have now is Ruamkatanu."
While people like Marko sacrifice their personal lives for good causes, there still remains a great demand for more assistance and aid. As the government doesn't fund foundations like Portektung and Ruamkatanu, it all comes down to donations, charity, and devoted volunteers to keep everything running smooth.
Currently, there are several young volunteers with Ruamkatanu and Portektung, aiding and learning about the ambulance, machines, and handling injuries and dead bodies. If you would like to volunteer your time and service making a difference helping others, or just want to learn more about Emergency Rescue, don't hesitate to contact Ruamkatanu, Portektung, or the local foundation in your town.
Portektung 02-2264444 02-2264445, 022264446
Ruamkatanu 02-7510944 02-7510945, 02-7510946
Other important 24 hour emergency numbers
Police 191
Jor Sor Roy Radio (report accidents, traffic, news) 1137
Bangkok Emergency Service Team (for domestic emergencies not human related. i.e. floods, streets, sidewalks, etc.) 1555 END OF ARTICLE
Contact Jao Moragoat Marco Cunningham's proposal
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