Burmese baby dies at birth after parents unable to afford Thai hospital

[webfact]

Burmese baby dies at birth after parents unable to afford Thai hospital

By The Nation

 

 

A Burmese worker stranded in Chiang Rai delivered his wife’s baby yesterday due to lack of money for hospital treatment, only to see the newborn die during the birth.

 

Police sent rescue volunteers and Mae Sai Hospital medics to the scene after being notified of the incident.

 

Medics found husband and wife, Phu Mong Mong and Mawin Khai, grieving for their dead infant. They explained that because the border was closed, they could not return to Myanmar and had to go to a Thai hospital to give birth.

 

However, since they had little money and no right to free medical treatment, they chose to deliver the baby by themselves.

 

Police found nothing suspicious and doctors reported the death as natural. Local authorities are funding the funeral rite.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30390344

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-26

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[canopus1969]

That is so sad, should never happen in this day and age

[Pilotman]

That is tragic, so unavoidable. Shame on you Thailand, that you let such things happen. I know of a sick Laos lady, who cannot get any basic treatment, although she is here legally to work. They want the low cost Asian workers, but they are not prepared to give them the very basic level of care, or protection, when they need it.    

[4MyEgo]

LOS (SAD)

[Sheryl]

22 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

That is tragic, so unavoidable. Shame on you Thailand, that you let such things happen. I know of a sick Laos lady, who cannot get any basic treatment, although she is here legally to work. They want the low cost Asian workers, but they are not prepared to give them the very basic level of care, or protection, when they need it.    

 

Actually  legal migrant workers can get covered under the 30 baht scheme. They have to pay about 1500 baht a year for it (and have a physical exam but then that is required for the work permit anyhow). Then receive a card that gives them same entitlements as a Thai at the registered hospital.

 

Employer usually has to go with them to register (or at a minimum provide copy of their tabian ban and, if the worker is not listed in it, then a letter or form attesting to where they live) and that may be a barrier for some.

 

I have 2 Cambodian household staff (well one really and then then the spouse and child,  but for visa purposes I list the spouse as also working for me).

 

Both have this cover and have used it extensively.

[Rotweiler]

Sheryl, you mentioned the keywords in your post - "legal" and "work permit".  The vast majority of the Myanmar workers here are 'undocumented" (illegals, in government parlance) thus have less that zero rights here.  And of course, no hospital in CR would dare to provide free care to them.  We had a Myanmar temp worker seriously injured and eventually die on a jobsite not far away - the local hospital refused to treat him until someone  could prove he could pay.

 

As per several posts above, TIT - and unfortunately, TIR (This is real) as well.

[Filipplenoir]

Covid to blame

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, Rotweiler said:

Sheryl, you mentioned the keywords in your post - "legal" and "work permit".  The vast majority of the Myanmar workers here are 'undocumented" (illegals, in government parlance) thus have less that zero rights here.  And of course, no hospital in CR would dare to provide free care to them.  We had a Myanmar temp worker seriously injured and eventually die on a jobsite not far away - the local hospital refused to treat him until someone  could prove he could pay.

 

As per several posts above, TIT - and unfortunately, TIR (This is real) as well.

Yes, illegals have a real problem (in addition to cost they fear going to a hospital or any other govt facility).

 

However I was replying to a post about a legal migrant worker.

 

[sqwakvfr]

The US Health care system gets a lot of criticism(most of it is well deserved) but no hospital would turn away or refuse to treat a woman going into labor.  Labor is considered a Life or Death Emergency.

 

Migrants(legal or illegal) in this country should be advised to go to the nearest hospital if they are suffering from major illness or injury.  Then let the hospital decide whether they will treat them or not. No hospital wants to be featured in a news story about someone dying after being refused medical treatment because of their immigration status.  

 

Truly sad and tragic.  Some migrants are truly stuck in “no man’s land”.  They can’t go home and they cannot medical treatment(even life or death emergencies).  

 

An event like this should be one of the reasons people protest and demand change.  

[Pilotman]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Actually  legal migrant workers can get covered under the 30 baht scheme. They have to pay about 1500 baht a year for it (and have a physical exam but then that is required for the work permit anyhow). Then receive a card that gives them same entitlements as a Thai at the registered hospital.

 

Employer usually has to go with them to register (or at a minimum provide copy of their tabian ban and, if the worker is not listed in it, then a letter or form attesting to where they live) and that may be a barrier for some.

 

I have 2 Cambodian household staff (well one really and then then the spouse and child,  but for visa purposes I list the spouse as also working for me).

 

Both have this cover and have used it extensively.

The Laos lady I was writing about earns 200 Baht per day (yes I know, not the minimum wage.  try telling her employer that) in a juice bar in Chon Buri and supports her family on that, plus a baby. The baby is Laos, so no benefits there and no help from anyone, bar a few kind local folk, without whom she and the baby would starve.  For someone like her, 1,500 Baht a year is not affordable. 

[twocatsmac]

Hard to believe nobody helped or could help financially, must be a poor area. 

Any farang would have done something, anything to help. 

Leaves me with a heavy heart.

[noahvail]

And Thailand is ranked #6 in the world for health care, as touted by the P.M. and the Health Minister.
You can imagine how the bereaved feel about that.

[Borzandy]

Thailand THE medical hub....

[loong]

I thought that hospitals by law cannot refuse emergency/urgent treatment.

[Card]

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

That is tragic, so unavoidable. Shame on you Thailand, that you let such things happen. I know of a sick Laos lady, who cannot get any basic treatment, although she is here legally to work. They want the low cost Asian workers, but they are not prepared to give them the very basic level of care, or protection, when they need it.    

Have you paid for her treatment?

[Pilotman]

40 minutes ago, Card said:

Have you paid for her treatment?

When we found out, yes, of course we did, and we support her and her baby until they can get back to Laos. 

[Bender Rodriguez]

that is so sad and we all know thai people have no empathy nor mercy...

 

 

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, loong said:

I thought that hospitals by law cannot refuse emergency/urgent treatment.

They can and they do.  I'm not sure what Oath doctors here take, but it doesn't appear to be the Hippocratic Oath that's for sure, or if it is, many don't seem to understand the significance of it. 

[Bangkok Barry]

A tragic story. But I wonder what kind of life the child would have had with the parents having so little money. I know it's not politically correct to say that if you can't afford to have a child then don't, but if you can't afford to have a child then don't. It isn't fair on the child and could lead to all kinds of social problems.

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

That is so sad, should never happen in this day and age

But this is Thailand. 

[puipuitom]

You think the Thais give any damn about it ?

Yes, ONLY because it came in an wide spread newspaper. Next week... nobody remembers this. 

[hotchilli]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Police found nothing suspicious and doctors reported the death as natural. Local authorities are funding the funeral rite.

A shame they couldn't fund the birth, it would have been a much better ending for all concerned.

[Sydebolle]

On 6/26/2020 at 3:18 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Actually  legal migrant workers can get covered under the 30 baht scheme. They have to pay about 1500 baht a year for it (and have a physical exam but then that is required for the work permit anyhow). Then receive a card that gives them same entitlements as a Thai at the registered hospital.

 

Employer usually has to go with them to register (or at a minimum provide copy of their tabian ban and, if the worker is not listed in it, then a letter or form attesting to where they live) and that may be a barrier for some.

 

I have 2 Cambodian household staff (well one really and then then the spouse and child,  but for visa purposes I list the spouse as also working for me).

 

Both have this cover and have used it extensively.

Why do it legal in bureaucratic Thailand if illegal works cheaper, easier and zero paperwork?

So much to ASEAN and AEC2015 (the start of which was moved from 1 Januar to 31 December 2015 on Yingluck's behest). All this is farce and non-Thai ASEAN citizen, on an illegal status in Thailand, are prone to misuse, mistreatment if not even abuse. This case is on file, hundreds if not thousands are not! 

This story clearly shows the priorities of the clowns-in-chief, plenty of tax payers cash for submarines which explains, why the have-nothings can lose a child during birth.

Shame on you all in the government and shame on the political power broker who runs the health ministry! 

[Sheryl]

On 6/26/2020 at 6:12 PM, Pilotman said:

The Laos lady I was writing about earns 200 Baht per day (yes I know, not the minimum wage.  try telling her employer that) in a juice bar in Chon Buri and supports her family on that, plus a baby. The baby is Laos, so no benefits there and no help from anyone, bar a few kind local folk, without whom she and the baby would starve.  For someone like her, 1,500 Baht a year is not affordable. 

 

Yes, this is a major flaw with the system.

 

Even people making minimal wage, this is a lot of money -- especially since they are often having to pay back their employer fir the substantial cost of getting legal status (about 20,000 baht and for  4 years with an additional 2-3,000 at the 2 year point and that is just for the visa, does nto include the health cover). 

 

I pay the health cover cost for my employees and the only migrant workers I know of with it, same story- they can't pay it on their own. Nor can any of them afford to pay up front for getting the necessary L-A visa. I also pay that, including re-entry permit.

 

Including costs of visa and health cover etc, I am paying as much for my Cambodian staff as a Thai would earn -- if I could find a Thai to do it, which I can't, hence the migrants. Most Thai employers won't do this. Some foreigners won't either.

 

The problem is that many employers are unwilling to provide decent benefits or go to any trouble or expense  their workers, as they hire migrants in the first place in order to save money. And the laws and regulations do not put any clear onus onto employers of migrant workers. 

 

 

[cheshiremusicman]

11 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Yes, this is a major flaw with the system.

 

Even people making minimal wage, this is a lot of money -- especially since they are often having to pay back their employer fir the substantial cost of getting legal status (about 20,000 baht and for  4 years with an additional 2-3,000 at the 2 year point and that is just for the visa, does nto include the health cover). 

 

I pay the health cover cost for my employees and the only migrant workers I know of with it, same story. They can't pay it on their own. Nor can any of them afford to pay up front for getting the necessary L-A visa. I also pay that, including re-entry permit.

 

Including costs of visa and health cover etc, I am paying as much for my Cambodian staff as a Thai would earn -- if I could find a Thai to do it, which I can't, hence the migrants. Most Thai employers won't do this. Some foreigners won't either.

 

The problem is that many employers are unwilling to provide decent benefits or go to any trouble or expense  their workers, as they hire migrants in the first place in order to save money. And the laws and regulations do not put any clear onus onto employers of migrant workers. 

 

 

More power to you for your morals in looking after your staff. As you say "you can't find Thai staff to do it, which I can't, hence the migrants". Sounds a bit like the UK where the bone-idle live off their girlfriends and the state, the gf's pretending that they are single parents whilst their bf's are shacked up with them in housing provided by the state because they are 'single mothers', whilst old age pensioners can't even afford to have adequate heating, never mind the little 'luxuries' like decent food. The UK's 'Foreign Aid' program sends millions to Pakistan (yes they are the number one recipient) whilst this blxxdy country can afford to spend some 20%+ of their GDP on rockets etc and support terrorists - blxxdy scandalous. The UK should cease their Foreign Aid programs, most of which seems to end up in bank accounts which it was never intended to end up in. Look after your own first and foremost is my motto and sod the rest. 

 

[Captain Monday]

On 6/28/2020 at 2:10 PM, Sheryl said:

 

Yes, this is a major flaw with the system.

 

Even people making minimal wage, this is a lot of money -- especially since they are often having to pay back their employer fir the substantial cost of getting legal status (about 20,000 baht and for  4 years with an additional 2-3,000 at the 2 year point and that is just for the visa, does nto include the health cover). 

 

I pay the health cover cost for my employees and the only migrant workers I know of with it, same story- they can't pay it on their own. Nor can any of them afford to pay up front for getting the necessary L-A visa. I also pay that, including re-entry permit.

 

Including costs of visa and health cover etc, I am paying as much for my Cambodian staff as a Thai would earn -- if I could find a Thai to do it, which I can't, hence the migrants. Most Thai employers won't do this. Some foreigners won't either.

 

The problem is that many employers are unwilling to provide decent benefits or go to any trouble or expense  their workers, as they hire migrants in the first place in order to save money. And the laws and regulations do not put any clear onus onto employers of migrant workers. 

 

 

I understand in times of pandemics but there is no Covid-19 in Thailand (basically) they should be allowed to return to their countries. I don't know about the situation in Burma and Laos. What you explained regarding your employees is a perfect example of why borders should be completely abolished in terms of human movement. Fundamentally uneconomic and unproductive.