More rare diseases to be covered by Gold Card healthcare scheme

Praphorn Praphornkul

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Twenty-four rare diseases are slated to be covered by the Gold Card healthcare program in Thailand next year, following a decision by the National Health Insurance Commission.

 

The Head of the Division of Medical Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine of Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Prof. Dr. Duangrurdee Wattanasirichaigoon, explained today that patients suffering from rare diseases often have trouble finding treatment. According to a survey conducted in 2018, up to 40% of patients with rare diseases spent over a year seeking out experts in their condition and up to 34% were initially misdiagnosed. By adding 24 out of the estimated 300 rare diseases found in Thailand to the Gold Card program, these patients will have better access to early treatment and medication.

 

The Thai Rare Disease Foundation has led representatives of the patients’ families in thanking the government for acknowledging the problem while pointing out ailments that have yet to receive attention, such as Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), which has resulted in one patient in Thailand living without the ability to feel satiated.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2019-11-03

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Is that Prodding - Willi Syndrome I thing I may have it !

Hold on a second, does this mean that in other words

the Gold Card scheme has a list of covered diseases?

only the 7.000 or so common ones, the 15.000 - 30.000 documented ones, or all of them ?
 

Not a list of diseases, no.

 

But there are drug lists and some rare diseases require treatment with expensive drugs not used for anything else.