Health Commission Casts Doubt On Thailand's Medical-Hub Policy

[webfact]

Health Commission casts doubt on medical-hub policy

By Duangkamon Sajirawattanakul

The Nation

A Board of Investment offer of tax privileges to support plans to make Thailand a medical hub may contravene the health charter, National Health Commission secretary-general Dr Ampol Jindawattana told a news conference yesterday.

Ampol also claimed the BOI offer could adversely affect health services for Thais.

According to the National Health Act, the state should not grant support or tax privileges to investors providing commercial health services.

"Although the charter does not prescribe any punishment, it should be socially binding because health services are a humanitarian cause," Ampol said.

He said many of the health services in Thailand were already profit-oriented. Government agencies should not officially encourage profit-oriented health businesses, he said.

Ampol said he would raise the issue at the Health Commission meeting on December 24, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

"The medical-hub issue will prove whether the government will work for everyone or just for some," Ampol said.

Nonglak Pagaiya, assistant secretary to the academic panel on the medical-hub policy, said many people supported the policy because they believed it would generate more revenue for the country.

"But in fact, foreigners coming to Thailand for health services account for just 27 per cent of the total number of foreign patients in Thailand," Nonglak said.

Most foreign patients are immigrants or tourists who happen to fall ill while in Thailand, she said.

Nonglak also expressed concern that Thais would shoulder higher medical costs if private facilities used higher pay to lure medical workers from government services.

The medical-hub policy is among eight issues to be highlighted at the annual National Health Assembly meeting, taking place from December 15-17.

-- The Nation 2010-12-09

[geriatrickid]

Ampol also claimed the BOI offer could adversely affect health services for Thais.

Not, but will as Thailand's free market approach means that physicians will move to more profitable "Hub" facilities. The end result is a deterioration of care for all.

[grahamhc]

Ampol also claimed the BOI offer could adversely affect health services for Thais.

Not, but will as Thailand's free market approach means that physicians will move to more profitable "Hub" facilities. The end result is a deterioration of care for all.

The same happens in the UK's NHS system.

The Ethical doctors stay and help, whereas the money conscientious doctors leave and go to private medicine

So we have to fill the vacancies from overseas trained doctors, mainly from third world countries, who in turn lose their doctors.

India is a great source for Medical Staff. While many are very good, there are others who we wonder how they got through the exams.

Currently TAT is targeting Indian Tourists as an expanding market. Next, Thai hospitals will target India as a supply source of Doctors for their state hospitals.

[apollo13]

Could somebody bring me up to date on the medical malpractice laws in Thailand ? I remember the quacks protesting against it being implemented, did the malpractice bill go through? If somebody goes in for an ingrowing toenail and wakes up from anaesthesia as a ladyboy can they sue ?

[LuckyLew]

Thailands next goal is to be the hub of doubt casting

[ioo]

The Thai government has been regulating health practices more and more over the years. This comes from the fact that a number of hospitals and clinics were partaking in some questionable practices, so the international and Thai communities began demanding better oversight. Also, the idea of making Thailand into a medical hub comes from the Thaksin era, so it's automatically unpopular with the current government. People in the Thai health care industry have been complaining for years how they keep losing doctors and staff to private practice. Medical tourism is lucrative, but most of the patients are Thai, despite what foreigners might see. All that is happening now is private practice is losing some tax breaks. I don't see any problem with this. Why should they get tax breaks. The local health care industry needs be sure that it is serving its own people well.

Check this article out about regulating medical practices:

http://www.thailawforum.com/medical-practices-thailand-stem-cell-cloning-cancer-sex-change.html

Edited December 9, 2010 by ioo

[k9inkrabi]

Ampol also claimed the BOI offer could adversely affect health services for Thais.

Not, but will as Thailand's free market approach means that physicians will move to more profitable "Hub" facilities. The end result is a deterioration of care for all.

Yep, socialised medicine is what the Brits and most of Europe want. Heaven forbid the doctors earn a little money after years of hard work earning their doctoate. I hate to say it, but money is the motivation behind most of the cutting edge medical tecnology and research into new drugs. The Governments for the most part produce nothing but drones providing mediocre care. Even the Saudi King and the Prime minister of Canada seek health care in the USA. But then Obama is trying to change all of that.

[asiawatcher]

I can't see why the drug companies cannot subsidise the health issues of countries. They steal enough anyway!

[k9inkrabi]

I can't see why the drug companies cannot subsidise the health issues of countries. They steal enough anyway!

Well, there you go, the socialistic point of view again. The USA drug companies spend millions if not billions on research and development of their products. They are not stealing, they want a return on their investment. That is the capitalistic way. Anyway, they do donate millions of dollars and their products to undeveloped nations. Check out all the medicine donated by leading companies to Africa and other developing countries to fight AIDS etc. These donations wouldn'nt be possible if the drug companies had not developed them through the research they spent billions on. There is no free ride in this life, somebody has to pay for it.

Edited December 9, 2010 by k9inkrabi

[Gonsalviz]

Ampol also claimed the BOI offer could adversely affect health services for Thais.

Not, but will as Thailand's free market approach means that physicians will move to more profitable "Hub" facilities. The end result is a deterioration of care for all.

The same happens in the UK's NHS system.

The Ethical doctors stay and help, whereas the money conscientious doctors leave and go to private medicine

So we have to fill the vacancies from overseas trained doctors, mainly from third world countries, who in turn lose their doctors.

India is a great source for Medical Staff. While many are very good, there are others who we wonder how they got through the exams.

Currently TAT is targeting Indian Tourists as an expanding market. Next, Thai hospitals will target India as a supply source of Doctors for their state hospitals.

You also have to consider the fact that the doctors staying in the public health system may not have the outstanding qualities it takes to be a qualified private physician. The US military and VA are prime areas for these types.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup,

It would be great if these speculations were anchored with some real statistics: for example, the yearly revenue of Bumrungrad Hospital, and the percentage of Thai and Foreign patients, and what percentage of the revenue stream come from those two groups. Having the revenue broken out by categories like: elective surgery (cosmetic, etc.), cardio-vascular repair, hip or knee replacements or repair not related to broken bones, treatment of long term chronic illnesses, etc. would also be quite useful.

best, ~o:37;

[Pib]

Sawasdee Khrup,

It would be great if these speculations were anchored with some real statistics: for example, the yearly revenue of Bumrungrad Hospital, and the percentage of Thai and Foreign patients, and what percentage of the revenue stream come from those two groups. Having the revenue broken out by categories like: elective surgery (cosmetic, etc.), cardio-vascular repair, hip or knee replacements or repair not related to broken bones, treatment of long term chronic illnesses, etc. would also be quite useful.

best, ~o:37;

WikiLeaks probably has the info somewhere; give WikiLeaks a few more weeks and they'll probaby get the info posted.

[koosdeboer]

I can't see why the drug companies cannot subsidise the health issues of countries. They steal enough anyway!

Well, there you go, the socialistic point of view again. The USA drug companies spend millions if not billions on research and development of their products. They are not stealing, they want a return on their investment. That is the capitalistic way. Anyway, they do donate millions of dollars and their products to undeveloped nations. Check out all the medicine donated by leading companies to Africa and other developing countries to fight AIDS etc. These donations wouldn'nt be possible if the drug companies had not developed them through the research they spent billions on. There is no free ride in this life, somebody has to pay for it.

They are not stealing? What about Celgene? Have you ever heard about thalidomide (softenon)? It was on the market many years ago against morning sickness. Some years ago someone, not celgene, found out that it was effective against multiple myeloma (cancer). Than they made it 500% more expensive, which means it costs 4000 dollar a month. If you don't have the money, you die. I can know because I'm still alive because of thalidomide but I had to dig deep in my savings because the insurance didn't want to pay.

[Pib]

This short article mentions some drug support to Africa, "when it's profitable."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071375/

[Deeral]

Ampol also claimed the BOI offer could adversely affect health services for Thais.

Not, but will as Thailand's free market approach means that physicians will move to more profitable "Hub" facilities. The end result is a deterioration of care for all.

The same happens in the UK's NHS system.

The Ethical doctors stay and help, whereas the money conscientious doctors leave and go to private medicine

So we have to fill the vacancies from overseas trained doctors, mainly from third world countries, who in turn lose their doctors.

India is a great source for Medical Staff. While many are very good, there are others who we wonder how they got through the exams.

Currently TAT is targeting Indian Tourists as an expanding market. Next, Thai hospitals will target India as a supply source of Doctors for their state hospitals.

THat grossly over simplifies the situation.