Thai Doctors Salaries Not Paid For 10 Months

[webfact]

HOSPITALS IN CRISIS

Some salaries not paid for 10 months

By PONGPHON SARNSAMAK,

DUANGKAMON SAJIRAWATTANAKUL,

THE NATION

Healthcare budget not enough to cover all expenses, say institutions

More than half of the state hospitals are suffering from serious financial problems, with many of them having failed to pay their doctors' salaries for up to 10 months.

Somdej Phraphutthalertla Hospi-tal's medical specialist Dr Pongsak Nitikarun yesterday blamed the government's decision that state hospitals use their budget to pay for medicines, utility fees, medical workers' salaries and other expenses. The calculation of this budget is based on the number of people they have to take care of under the universal-healthcare scheme. Hospitals are given a flat rate of Bt2,800 per head per year.

"The subsidy does not reflect the actual costs," Pongsak said at a seminar. "Because of budget constraints, the hospital has not paid its doctors and nurses for about 10 months now."

There are more than 900 state hospitals, with 570 of them suffering from serious financial problems. Of these, 191 hospitals, including Somdej Phraphutthalertla Hospital, are in dire straits.

In a bid to ease the financial crunch faced by these 191 state hospitals, Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit said yesterday that he would urge the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to allocate Bt2 billion to help these medical institutions cope.

However, Paijit suggested that the hospitals should also try to manage their budgets more efficiently or raise funds on their own to ensure that doctors are paid fair salaries. He even recommended that the hospitals borrow money from other hospitals that are in a better financial position.

Paijit also asked the General and Central Hospital Association to set up an ad hoc group to conduct a feasibility study and find a sustainable solution to resolve the hospitals' financial crises, especially in terms of salaries.

The association's adviser Dr Samphan Komrit, who is director of Ban Mee Hospital in Lop Buri, said that despite his best efforts to improve the hospital's financial situation, it was impossible to pull it out of the red.

"My efforts have raised the hospital's income by Bt6 million or Bt7 million a year. But that's not enough to pull it out of the financial crisis. It has been sustaining losses of about Bt20 million and Bt30 million each year," he pointed out. "This is caused by the imbalance between the per capita budget allocated by NHSO and the population in the area." He said the NHSO should boost the contingency fund that helps hospitals in financial crisis. Currently, the fund receives Bt200 million a year. "The proper amount would be Bt3 billion a year."

-- The Nation 2010-10-07

[wandrinstar]

You can bet your life the Administrators have been more than well paid..

[SomTumTiger]

very sad - Doctors who are still working should be commended!

[siamtexan]

30 baht medical scheme seems to be on track with other similar populist Government programs. Now if the Governments corrupt officials would contribute 25% of their under table income to a medical and education slush fund, the balance of payments would be out of the red... just a dream.

[norwayeagle]

You can bet your life the Administrators have been more than well paid..

Oh Yeah.That's 1 thing that is for Sure.

[haveaniceday]

Would be nice to see which ones are having money problems and more inclined to cut corners, well more corners.

[Sabre]

Do you really think that the doctors have lived for 10 months on no income? Very unlikely. This is a clear indication that most doctors derive the better part of their income from unofficial sources - that is, directly from the patients and their families. My wife told me recently about taking her dad to the hospital. He was having serious breathing difficulties and the doctor reported that he would die within 3 hours without help. In no particular hurry he told her that he could have the 'normal' treatment in which case he would probably die, or he could use the 'special' medicine but that this was not paid for by the government and would cost them. The price quoted was THB10,000, and the doctor calmly waited while my wife rushed off to the ATM to get the money, only treating her dad after he had been paid. The disturbing thing about this is that a lot of people I know would have trouble raising 10,000 Baht in the space of a few hours. Would the doctor have left them to die? It seems like it.

Thailand does not have 'universal health care' and the 30 baht scheme does not provide healthcare to everybody. Getting inside the hospital does not equate to receiving actual treatment, or treatment that is up to scratch.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Sabre

[RKASA]

" Would the doctor have left them to die? It seems like it."

Would he have died at all? Seems an equally good question, if care is offered in this way.

I have dealt with auto repairman that say some stupid things. One guy used a oil can and put some oil on the shocks, then told my wife they had to be replaced. I looked and said no I will take care of it later, just to make things simple. He then told my wife OK , but the car will fall apart on the way home and your going to be killed. That is about the time she came up to speed on what he was doing.

[PowerRanger]

Ohh really?? Couldn't believed it !!!

HOSPITALS IN CRISIS

Some salaries not paid for 10 months

By PONGPHON SARNSAMAK,

DUANGKAMON SAJIRAWATTANAKUL,

THE NATION

Healthcare budget not enough to cover all expenses, say institutions

More than half of the state hospitals are suffering from serious financial problems, with many of them having failed to pay their doctors' salaries for up to 10 months.

Somdej Phraphutthalertla Hospi-tal's medical specialist Dr Pongsak Nitikarun yesterday blamed the government's decision that state hospitals use their budget to pay for medicines, utility fees, medical workers' salaries and other expenses. The calculation of this budget is based on the number of people they have to take care of under the universal-healthcare scheme. Hospitals are given a flat rate of Bt2,800 per head per year.

"The subsidy does not reflect the actual costs," Pongsak said at a seminar. "Because of budget constraints, the hospital has not paid its doctors and nurses for about 10 months now."

There are more than 900 state hospitals, with 570 of them suffering from serious financial problems. Of these, 191 hospitals, including Somdej Phraphutthalertla Hospital, are in dire straits.

In a bid to ease the financial crunch faced by these 191 state hospitals, Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit said yesterday that he would urge the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to allocate Bt2 billion to help these medical institutions cope.

However, Paijit suggested that the hospitals should also try to manage their budgets more efficiently or raise funds on their own to ensure that doctors are paid fair salaries. He even recommended that the hospitals borrow money from other hospitals that are in a better financial position.

Paijit also asked the General and Central Hospital Association to set up an ad hoc group to conduct a feasibility study and find a sustainable solution to resolve the hospitals' financial crises, especially in terms of salaries.

The association's adviser Dr Samphan Komrit, who is director of Ban Mee Hospital in Lop Buri, said that despite his best efforts to improve the hospital's financial situation, it was impossible to pull it out of the red.

"My efforts have raised the hospital's income by Bt6 million or Bt7 million a year. But that's not enough to pull it out of the financial crisis. It has been sustaining losses of about Bt20 million and Bt30 million each year," he pointed out. "This is caused by the imbalance between the per capita budget allocated by NHSO and the population in the area." He said the NHSO should boost the contingency fund that helps hospitals in financial crisis. Currently, the fund receives Bt200 million a year. "The proper amount would be Bt3 billion a year."

-- The Nation 2010-10-07

[IvanDobsky]

The Doctors that I know work within the government system but make their money in private practice after hours.

How much does each birth cost? Nothing on government paper..but in reality..gratitude for receiving a good job..well done..priceless (or just 3-4-5000 baht). This doesn't include the consultancy fee.