PM calls for talks on the funds' future

The Nation

Some want Bt30 fee to stay, others focus on better service

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has proposed a workshop for the three health funds - to get them working in the same direction in health security, to improve the universal healthcare system, and collection of the Bt30 fee.

In a policy address to the National Health Security Office (NHSO) Board at the Public Health Ministry yesterday, Yingluck said all people should be able to equally access basic healthcare treatment of the same standard. If they wished for more comfort or convenience they could pay extra for it.

Yingluck also revealed a plan to host a workshop for three healthcare systems to outline their direction and action over the next 3-5 years. They should discuss too what the basic healthcare system should provide its subscribers, and how its services could be elevated according to their rights.

On the universal healthcare policy that had been popular over the past decade, she urged the board to improve and expand its available benefits, in order to collect from service users the fees that would maintain the system. In case of very poor people, the board should also work on details for fee waiving, she added.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri, as NHSO board chairman, said the PM had expressed concern over this fiscal year's Bt2,755-per-head subsidy budget - if it would cover people's healthcare and if it would be sufficient in the future.

The meeting saw two camps emerge: one led by the Medical Council of Thailand supporting the Bt30 fee collection as it would prevent unnecessary hospital visits; the other led by local administrative bodies and NGOs urging people to forget the fee collection and focus on service quality improvement, which the premier said would be further discussed in the workshop.

Prior to the meeting, a 100-strong pro-health security group submitted a letter to Yingluck urging the government improve the universal healthcare system to be fair and accessible for all, to review the Bt30 fee collection, and to allocate more funds to pay for specific disease treatment so it was up to par with the civil service healthcare system. Yingluck replied she would discuss the4se points with the NHSO Board.

Dr Orapan Methadilokkul, who headed the movement calling for review of the NHSO Act, urged Yingluck to review the act and six related laws which would affect the public health system and said 51,102 people had signed their objection to the act.

Dr Prachoomporn Booncharoen, chairperson of the doctors’ alliance of regional and general hospitals, said she and Dr Churdchoo Ariyasriwatana, President of the Healthcare Workforce of Thailand, had submitted a letter to Yingluck and the NHSO Board chairman to dismiss five board members from private organisations for failing to attend the board meeting three times.

They are Dr Chokchai Chokewiwat, Boomyeun Siritham, Sunthree Sengkee, Nimit Thien-udom and Chusak Janthayanont.

-- The Nation 2012-01-10

If the basic salary is being increased by a relatively high percentage and graduates are also to get a hike in pay and corporation tax is slashed then at some stage the people should actually start to pay for things and contribute to society.

A fair point and 30 bts is a fair price to pay for the poorer member of society, no one should complain about that.

Except it costs more to collect the 30 Baht than it cost the government for a free service

Why pay 30 Bahts when under Mark's scheme, it is 100% FREE.