ABCNews.com(CHAING RAI, Thailand) — The rescue effort for the 12 boys who survived over two weeks underground in Thailand has switched to a treatment process.
Authorities held a press conference early Wednesday in Chiang Rai to discuss the boys’ continued recovery from a variety of minor ailments. All 12 boys, as well as their soccer coach, remain quarantined at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital.
But on the whole, all of the boys are doing well. Former Provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn told ABC News the boys were not weak, and some were actually able to walk out of the cave themselves. The trips to the hospital were mostly due to infection fears.
“Everybody is doing well,” Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, public health inspector, said. “No one has any serious infections.
“Everybody can now rest and do daily activities.”
None of the first group of four boys to emerge has a fever, and the two boys that had lung infections are improving. Officials also said they are taking less medication, and can eat anything they want — good news for the boys who were looking forward to fried rice with basil.
As with the day before, parents are still being held tantalizingly far away from their children. They were allowed to again visit, but had to stay away 2 meters.
“They talked to the boys far away from them, about 2 meters,” Thongchai said. “The second group will do the same today.”
The second group will be moved Wednesday evening local time from soft food to regular.
The third and final group, including the soccer team’s 25-year-old coach, which emerged Tuesday, are taking antibiotics and at least some had lung infections.
The boys lost about two kilograms each the doctors said, or about 4.4 pounds.
Each of the boys has been given a health card, which they will continue to carry for two weeks after they leave the hospital, in order to jot down any issues.
“Anyone can bring this card to show it to the doctors, so the doctor can be alerted to any kinds of diseases and take care of them, such as colds,” Thongchai said.
Thongchai said no one is blaming the coach, the last one to come out of the cave, for his decision to take the boys inside on June 23. The cave flooded unexpectedly and cut off the team for 10 days before even being discovered.
“You can’t blame the coach and you can’t blame the kids,” Thongchai said. “They have to help each other. We have to admire the coach that he managed well in this situation.”
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