Village Health Volunteers to become main force against non-contagious diseases and drugs in communities

BANGKOK, 25 March 2012 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry is set to promote Village Health Volunteers as a major force in the fight against non-contagious disease and drugs in communities.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri has revealed that this year the ministry is determined to develop the efficiency of 1,000,000 Village Health Volunteers, stationed in villages across the country, in helping public health officials monitor the public’s health problems. Toward that goal, the ministry is organizing a training course for 200,000 volunteers in 10 specialized fields, who are tasked particularly with preventing and controlling two non-contagious diseases, namely diabetes and hypertension or commonly known as high blood pressure.

With the help of those 1,000,000 volunteers, the Ministry of Public Health is providing free health check-ups for 53.9 million Thais, aged over 15, in an attempt to identify diabetes and high blood pressure patients as well as risk groups in all 77 provinces across the country. The project's main aims are to provide treatment and reduce fatalities and disabilities resulted from those diseases.

Meanwhile, the ministry has set the goal to bring no less than 400,000 drug users and addicts into rehabilitation programs this year. Rehabilitation centers will be established in community hospitals across 878 districts nationwide as well as in 50 hospitals in the Bangkok area. Doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and occupational therapists will receive training to help treat drug addicts and users. On the other hand, Village Health Volunteers will be tasked with helping cured users and addicts reintegrate into the society in order to prevent them from returning to drug use again.

-- NNT 2012-03-25

Hard to see how, if the police (who ARE paid and who routinely "pay" themselves) can't rid Thailand of epidemic methamphetamine problems, an army of Thai volunteers is going to do anything. Drug offences are about the only thing the Thai police respond to, even if only halfheartedly and occasionally. On the plus side, I'm sure the volunteers can provide more intimate knowledge and will be more connected to members of their communities. A more grassroots approach to law enforcement would certainly help Thailand. It's too bad people fear retribution as much a s loss of face in the Kingdom.

" help cured users and addicts..."

I hope that the word cured was lost in translation as I never knew drug use was a disease. Reminds me of the old Stallone film Cobra - which had the slogan 'crime is the disease he's the cure' - Except now it's 'Drugs are the disease, Chalerms the cure.' lol