Political Parties Discuss Health Policies In Thailand

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Focus on quality health

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

15 minutes with doctors would help diagnosis: Ammar, experts

Top economist Ammar Siamwala and senior health experts have called on political parties to issue ambitious public health policies for the upcoming election that allow patients to see doctors for at least 15 minutes - for improved diagnosis of their problems at state hospitals.

"I want to see all political parties promise people that whenever they go to hospital they will have at least 15 minutes to see doctors each time. Today, patients have only 5 minutes to see doctors," Ammar said.

He spoke at a roundtable discussion titled "Political Party Policy on Public Health and Wellbeing for Thai people" held by The Nation and its sister paper Krungthep Turakij.

Academics and key leaders from political parties including the Democrat party, Pheu Thai party, and Bhum Jai Thai party attended the discussion.

Participants at the discussion were asked to present ideas on how to strengthen the public health system.

Ammar said that to date, patients were just able to access healthcare services at hospital but they had only five minutes to see doctors.

Political parties had to think and create a public health policy to improve not only accessible healthcare but also the quality of medical services, he said.

Bringing people for medical services for mild symptoms at a primarycare unit instead of allowing them to get treatment at hospitals was another test for political parties to come up with a policy to reduce crowding at hospitals.

"Patients should have about an hour to see a doctor and undergo treatment at hospital," he said.

Over the past few years, parties' health policies focused on extending medical services without concerning about budget limitations.

"We know that the 30baht healthcare scheme, introduced as a former health policy by Thaksin Shinawatra, is seen as the best public health policy and that it helped people to access medical services without worrying about the cost of treatment. But governments didn't think if there would be enough in the budget to support the scheme or not.

"This is why we have seen an overflow of patients in many state hospitals over past few years," he said.

The administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had also invested a lot of money to upgrade primary care units nationwide to health promoting hospitals. Instead of improving primary care services, government just changed only the plate showing the name of health promoting hospital.

"It would be better if government promise to people that it will increase the number of doctor to provide medical services for people in rural areas," a senior academic of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) at said.

Meanwhile, National Health Commission secretary general Dr Amphon Jindawattana said political parties' public health policies do not go beyond than putting a lot of money into medical treatment instead of health care promotion and prevention.

"If all political parties do not change their direction in public health policy from medical treatment to health care prevention, county would face bankruptcy in nearly future," a senior health official said.

Amphon said political parties should have strong commitment to issue public health policy that protect people health.

To create public health policy in a long term, Health Insurance System Research Office's director, Dr Samrit Srithamrongsawas said all political parties should eliminate the gab in country's three health care scheme.

Democrat Party spokesman Dr Buranat Samutrak said Democrat has issued seven public health policies for this time general election including reducing the gap between three health care fund, allowing family member of Social Security Scheme's subscriber to receive medical benefit under the scheme, making a fiveyear blueprint for country's National Health Security Fund financial management.

The party's public health policies also include improving civil servant medical benefit and control the budget for the scheme, improving medical services at state health care units, allowing state hospital to run administration and operation as private hospital but under government's control, developing emergency medical services, and enhancing local authority to develop health services to support local people.

Meanwhile, Bhum Jai Thai party member Manit Nopamornbodi said his party will improve the quality of medical services especially in health promoting hospital.

To help people in rural areas access medical treatment, he said the party will issue public health policy that produce large number of medical personnel to work at health promoting hospital within 10 years.

He believed that this policy would reduce the overflow of patient and workload for physician at general hospital.

Moreover, local authority will be allowed to help Public Health Ministry to develop health care services for people.

Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Vichan Meenchaiyanant said his party will bring the 30bath copayment back after former Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont's administration had abolished the copayment scheme and made universal care scheme free.

Paying 30bath for receiving medical serviced at hospital will ensure people to get health care services with good quality.

His party's public health policy will also extend the medical services after the office hours but patient will need to pay Bt 300 to get medical services at state hospital.

"This money will be collected to buy medical devices and other products to treat patient," he said.

As Thailand will enter to the ageing society next few years, Vichan said Pheu Thai Party will introduce a second home for elderly people. They could stay and enjoy creative activities. Health volunteers at local areas will take care them.

To prevent Thai women from cervical cancer, he said the party is now considering to push the idea that allow young girl aged under 15yearold to receive preventive vaccine against cervical cancer.

-- The Nation 2011-05-09