Thai Red Cross Society
Encyclopedia
The Thai Red Cross Society is the major humanitarian
organisation in Thailand, providing services as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
. It was founded in 1893 and has headquarters in Bangkok
.
for royal permission to establish a humanitarian organisation. Permission was granted by King Chulalongkorn
, who also granted permission to raise starting funds of 443,716 Baht. The society, then known as the Red Unalom Society (สภาอุณาโลมแดง) , was founded on 26 April 1893, with Queen Savang Vadhana as maternal patron. Queen Saovabha was appointed the first president, and Lady Plien acted as the society secretary.
The society's name was later changed to the Siam Red Cross Society and, following the renaming of the country, the Thai Red Cross Society. The society was officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross
on 27 May 1920, and membership in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(then the League of Red Cross Societies) was granted on 8 April 1921.
, which is located in Bangkok and with 1,479 beds is one of the largest hospitals in the country, and Queen Sawangvatana Memorial Hospital, a 500-bed general hospital located in Sri Racha. The Red Cross Rehabilitation Centre, located in Samut Prakan Province
, provides physical medicine and rehabilitation services for long-term patients.
services provided by the National Blood Centre are one of the society's most popular public images. Founded in 1952, the centre processes and provides blood and blood components to hospitals in Bangkok and the surrounding area, and offers nationwide services through 147 regional chapters.
s. The Thai Red Cross Eye Bank, in operation since 1965, provides eye tissue for corneal transplantation, and has 10 regional offices.
produces BCG
and rabies
vaccine
s and snake antivenin
s for national distribution. The institute provides rabies prevention and immunisation services. Its snake farm is also open to visitors and tourists, providing education in addition to its research activities.
for both the college and also the Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine
.
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
organisation in Thailand, providing services as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
. It was founded in 1893 and has headquarters in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
History
The origin of the Thai Red Cross Society relates to the Franco–Siamese territorial dispute of 1893 in which no organised aid was available to assist the military casualties. Lady Plien Pasakornravongs assembled a group of female volunteers and proposed to Queen Savang VadhanaSavang Vadhana
Queen Savang Vadhana of Siam was a consort of King Chulalongkorn or Rama V. Her full name and title was Queen Sri Savarindira - thus she was not the Rajini , but just was a highest consort...
for royal permission to establish a humanitarian organisation. Permission was granted by King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
, who also granted permission to raise starting funds of 443,716 Baht. The society, then known as the Red Unalom Society (สภาอุณาโลมแดง) , was founded on 26 April 1893, with Queen Savang Vadhana as maternal patron. Queen Saovabha was appointed the first president, and Lady Plien acted as the society secretary.
The society's name was later changed to the Siam Red Cross Society and, following the renaming of the country, the Thai Red Cross Society. The society was officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
on 27 May 1920, and membership in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
(then the League of Red Cross Societies) was granted on 8 April 1921.
Services
Following the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Thai Red Cross Society provides humanitarian aid and relief services in times of war and disaster, which is handled by its Relief and Public Health Bureau. The bureau also offers public health promotion services in remote areas of the country. In addition, the society also provides other medical and charitable services.Medical services
The Thai Red Cross Society operates the King Chulalongkorn Memorial HospitalKing Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital
King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital is a general and tertiary referral hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by the Thai Red Cross Society, and serves as the teaching hospital for the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and the Thai Red Cross College of Nursing...
, which is located in Bangkok and with 1,479 beds is one of the largest hospitals in the country, and Queen Sawangvatana Memorial Hospital, a 500-bed general hospital located in Sri Racha. The Red Cross Rehabilitation Centre, located in Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighboring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east....
, provides physical medicine and rehabilitation services for long-term patients.
Blood donation
Blood donationBlood donation
A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation....
services provided by the National Blood Centre are one of the society's most popular public images. Founded in 1952, the centre processes and provides blood and blood components to hospitals in Bangkok and the surrounding area, and offers nationwide services through 147 regional chapters.
Organ donation
The Thai Red Cross Organ Donation Centre began operation in 1994 and is the sole national coordinator of organ donationOrgan donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
s. The Thai Red Cross Eye Bank, in operation since 1965, provides eye tissue for corneal transplantation, and has 10 regional offices.
AIDS programme
The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre offers HIV testing and counseling services through its Anonymous Clinic, and runs education and awareness campaigns to battle the spread of the epidemic and better the lives of those living with HIV. The centre conducts research on HIV and clinical interventions under the HIV-NAT programme, and offers many services to help those living with HIV.Vaccines and rabies prevention
Queen Saovabha Memorial InstituteQueen Saovabha Memorial Institute
Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in Bangkok, Thailand, is a famous institute that specialises in the husbandry of venomous snakes, the extraction and research of snake venom...
produces BCG
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin is a vaccine against tuberculosis that is prepared from a strain of the attenuated live bovine tuberculosis bacillus, Mycobacterium bovis, that has lost its virulence in humans by being specially subcultured in an artificial medium for 13 years, and also prepared from...
and rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s and snake antivenin
Antivenin
Antivenom is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. Antivenom is created by milking venom from the desired snake, spider or insect. The venom is then diluted and injected into a horse, sheep or goat...
s for national distribution. The institute provides rabies prevention and immunisation services. Its snake farm is also open to visitors and tourists, providing education in addition to its research activities.
Medical education
The Thai Red Cross College of Nursing is one of the country's major professional nurse training centres. King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital serves as the teaching hospitalTeaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
for both the college and also the Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
The Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University,the second oldest medical school in Thailand, was established in 1947 in accordance with the wishes of King Ananda Mahidol to educate a sufficient number of medical doctors to satisfy the public's demands. For more than half a century, this medical...
.