Thai Govt To Re-Examine Emergency Health Scheme This Week

[webfact]

Govt to re-examine emergency health scheme this week

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry will evaluate the government health care scheme providing unlimited emergency medical treatment to all Thais on Thursday.

The new health care scheme started on April 1. It allows members of three national health care schemes - the National Health Security Office (NHSO) 's universal health scheme, the Social Security Scheme, and the Civil Servant Medical Benefit - to receive emergency treatment, regardless of which scheme they belong to.

Patients merely need to show their national identification card to receive free emergency treatment at the nearest hospital.

" So far, we have had no problems with the emergency medical services under the government's health care scheme," the Ministry's permanent secretary's Dr Paijit Warachit said.

The ministry recently established coordination centres at its hospitals across country to provide the emergency medical treatment. About 10 medical staffmembers will stand by around the clock at each centre.

" We found that most health care units' medical staffs have no problem in providing treatment under the new scheme. The public too seems to understand the services," he said.

He added that many officials faced problems receiving emergency treatment at private hospitals as they, previously, were not allowed to get such help.

" The ministry will call all health care staff related to these emergency medical services to evaluate them on March 5 with a view to improving the scheme," he said.

Dr Athaporn Limpanyalerd, director of the NHSO’s Claim Administration Bureau, said 12 patients with emergency conditions were sent to hospitals across the country on April 1, when the new health care scheme opened.

NHSO had also received 351 phone calls from patients and medical staff via its hotline 1330. About 74 calls were questions related to emergency medical treatment.

" We will evaluate the situations day by day to improve the emergency services," he said.

Dr.Pairoj Khruekanchana, director of Rajavithi Hospital's Emergency Medical Department, has expressed concern the government's scheme would increase the workload on medical workers.

" We do not have [enough] medical workers to provide treatment for all patients. This health care scheme will encourage people to expect access to emergency treatment to be much easier. In fact, we already provide such treatment to those patients who need medication to save their lives," he said.

To date, Rajavithi Hospital has been receiving about 300 patients with emergency conditions and accident-injuries every day. Only 6 medical workers, including doctors, stand by to provide treatment for them at the emergency department each 12 hours.

According to the Public Health Ministry, 30 percent of patients with emergency conditions resulted from road accidents and 70 percent suffered from severe medical conditions, such as acute asthma.

-- The Nation 2012-04-03

[Soi Sauce]

With Songkran coming and all the hospital emergency care that will require, not surprised this gov don't wanna pay for it.

They are, after all, in power to make money from the poor, not give it to them, for God's sake!