More hospitals join free healthcare scheme

More hospitals join free healthcare scheme

By The Nation

File photo : Atthaporn

As many as 16 more medical facilities have joined the country’s universal healthcare scheme this year.

Managed by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), the scheme covers more than 48 million Thais offering most types of medical services for free. 

Atthaporn Limpanyalert, assistant to NHSO secretary general, said on Sunday that nine medical facilities had newly registered themselves as providers of hemodialysis under the scheme. Of them, three are in Nonthaburi, one in Pathum Thani, one in Nakhon Pathom, one in Maha Sarakham, one in Ubon Ratchathani and another in Phuket. 

“There is one other service-delivery unit that has long been our member but has just added hemodialysis services too,” he added. 

According to Atthaporn, four other new participants have registered themselves as dental-service providers and all of them are located in Bangkok. 

“Then, there are two clinics stepping in as service delivery units. They are in Bangkok,” he said. 

Atthaporn said Ban Phu Pek Hospital in Sakon Nakhon province had joined the scheme as a primary-care unit.

There are now 12,109 service providers in the universal healthcare scheme. Of them, 11,054 work under the Public Health Ministry’s supervision, 509 are privately-owned, and 390 others are affiliated with local administrative bodies. 

“The rest are under state agencies that are not part of the Public Health Ministry, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Pattaya City,” he said.

Atthaporn said the increasing number of participants would boost the scheme’s coverage. If people have queries about their rights and service providers, they can call the 24-hour hotline on 1330.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30336240

 

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