MOPH seeks to tackle large overcrowding at hospitals

[rooster59]

MOPH seeks to tackle large overcrowding at hospitals

supawadee wangsri

 

BANGKOK, 12 October 2018 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has introduced a seamless patient transfer system and hospital networking to reduce the overcrowding at hospitals. 

Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsattayathorn admitted that the problem of hospital overcrowding has been unresolved for more than 10 years and the ministry has been trying to solve it. 

The solutions so far include a system to seamlessly transfer patients and hospital networking which means patients can receive treatment at any hospital in the same network, he said. 

There will be permanently based physicians at every community health promotion hospital so that patients don't have to go to large hospitals, said the Public Health Minister. 

The MOPH also has a proactive plan to reduce hospital overcrowding by raising the public health awareness and promoting physical exercises.

 

 

-- nnt 2018-10-13

[Vacuum]

30 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsattayathorn admitted that the problem of hospital overcrowding has been unresolved for more than 10 years

They could inform the citizens that they don't have to visit a hospital for minor illnesses like flu, sore throat, runny nose, common cold etc. Doing this, they'd cut the overcrowding by 50%.

[Gandtee]

Why not have Health Clinics that only do routine health checks? ie Blood pressure, blood and urine tests and the like and issue medication. This would leave the way open for other more urgent medical problems to be attended to at hospitals proper. 

[tingtong]

50 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Why not have Health Clinics that only do routine health checks? ie Blood pressure, blood and urine tests and the like and issue medication. This would leave the way open for other more urgent medical problems to be attended to at hospitals proper. 

 

could have, but hospitals and heath care in Thailand is a big moneymaker.

max capacity/overcrowding = most profit.

even when it is free (for kids) you are least expected to buy the medicines at there, paying a nice surcharge for even basic paracetamol.

 

 

[observer90210]

A special dissuasive, never ending queue,  specially for farangs, could sprout up, for example  ? !!

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, tingtong said:

 

could have, but hospitals and heath care in Thailand is a big moneymaker.

max capacity/overcrowding = most profit.

even when it is free (for kids) you are least expected to buy the medicines at there, paying a nice surcharge for even basic paracetamol.

 

 

You must be referring to private hospitals where as soon as you walk in you are offered a coffee and a Bangkok Post. That's the bait. Not Government hospitals. As a farang I pay for my treatment and medicines and it is very reasonable. A long wait yes, but I'm not going anywhere. A good book and relax. Not worrying how much it's going to cost me. Don't talk about health insurance. At my age its non existent.

[zzaa09]

3 hours ago, Gandtee said:

Why not have Health Clinics that only do routine health checks? ie Blood pressure, blood and urine tests and the like and issue medication. This would leave the way open for other more urgent medical problems to be attended to at hospitals proper. 

These exist already - in numbers.

Provincial and Amphoe clinics.

[Artisi]

9 hours ago, Vacuum said:

They could inform the citizens that they don't have to visit a hospital for minor illnesses like flu, sore throat, runny nose, common cold etc. Doing this, they'd cut the overcrowding by 50%.

Easier to screen the patients and have nurses etc dispense the paracetamol for couches, colds, ingrown toe nails, and other life threatening perceived problems that all Thais seem to suffer from every second day - leaving the Dr's free to treat the real problems. 

[Airalee]

51 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

These exist already - in numbers.

Provincial and Amphoe clinics.

They could use some/more of those “medi-quick” places (such as I have used throughout the US) in Bangkok.  I don’t see enough of them around and the few that I have seen, I wonder what their ability to fill prescriptions that are now strictly sold through hospital pharmacies...such as sudafed, or perhaps a stronger pain pill, cough medicine or whatever controlled substance that can be handled by a physician in a smaller clinic which would probably have a lot less overhead than the major hospitals. Leave the serious drugs/treatments to the hospitals.

 

In the last year, I had the opportunity to need to go and register at Chulalongkorn Hospital in order to pick up a prescription (not a controlled substance) that wasn’t available at Vichaiyut.  I first had to register and pay a 5 baht fee for my ID card.  Then was directed to what I figure was more or less their “outpatient clinic” as I was required to see a Chula doctor because my Gastroenterologist couldn’t write the prescription that their pharmacy could fill.  Then, the wait was 3 1/2 hours.  Total bill was next to nothing.  Something around ฿240...laughably inexpensive, as such a visit at UCLA would have run me a minimum of 50x (to probably as much as 100x) as much based on my last visit to a GI there (and I probably would still had to wait A bit after booking the appointment weeks or even months in advance).  Of course, I had the time to kill, but I doubt most Thais have that luxury and probably need to get back to whatever their responsibilities are in a more timely manner.

 

At the private hospitals I have used in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, I find that they are quite efficient (and equally as overstaffed as Chula) but of course, comparatively much more expensive (it now costs me about ฿1000 all in and Vichaiyut now orders the medication for me).  Chula, however just had far more patients waiting that could have been better served elsewhere.

[Burma Bill]

From my experiences in Thai Government hospitals, much of this overcrowding can be reduced by limiting the number of family members who always accompany the patient, taking up seating spaces etc. whilst other patients have to stand. I always attend my diabetic clinic on my own and am still asked on occasions "have you got family with you?"

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

From my experiences in Thai Government hospitals, much of this overcrowding can be reduced by limiting the number of family members who always accompany the patient, taking up seating spaces etc. whilst other patients have to stand. I always attend my diabetic clinic on my own and am still asked on occasions "have you got family with you?"

Maybe you're asked this incase of language difficulties?

[Burma Bill]

21 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Maybe you're asked this incase of language difficulties?

No not at all. The nurses and doctor at my local diabetic clinic can speak English. Family accompaniment is a "Thai" thing. Have you not been to visit a Thai person in a Government hospital ward where you will see mats laid out alongside the patient's bed for family members to sleep on through the night?

[Gandtee]

7 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

No not at all. The nurses and doctor at my local diabetic clinic can speak English. Family accompaniment is a "Thai" thing. Have you not been to visit a Thai person in a Government hospital ward where you will see mats laid out alongside the patient's bed for family members to sleep on through the night?

Yes I have. And this seems a cultural thing. It also allows the family members to tend the patients needs without the nurse having to be involved. But this has no bearing on waiting time in Out Patients.

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

From my experiences in Thai Government hospitals, much of this overcrowding can be reduced by limiting the number of family members who always accompany the patient, taking up seating spaces etc. whilst other patients have to stand. I always attend my diabetic clinic on my own and am still asked on occasions "have you got family with you?"

That's just in case they make a fatal mistake..... 

[scorecard]

16 hours ago, Gandtee said:

You must be referring to private hospitals where as soon as you walk in you are offered a coffee and a Bangkok Post. That's the bait. Not Government hospitals. As a farang I pay for my treatment and medicines and it is very reasonable. A long wait yes, but I'm not going anywhere. A good book and relax. Not worrying how much it's going to cost me. Don't talk about health insurance. At my age its non existent.

Not necessarily, IMHO there's a good argument for such government clinics for simple ailments and simple treatment. renew bandages etc., and no overnight beds. Perhaps these clinics could be under the management of the main full hospital in that region or zone. And perhaps in some cases they could stations to provide ambulance services more efficiently.

 

If started they could perhaps get good attendance from folks who want to avoid the long wait at full hospitals.