Ichabod Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Last year when one of the junta's bureaucrats attacked the national health care program by calling for co-payments that would have put health care once again out of reach of the poor, it was beaten back by criticism from academics and others. However, we knew the issue would come back again since, after all, the goal of the coup was to foster the interests of the elite very much at the expense of the poor. The elite do not like paying taxes to provide health care for poor people. And now the day has come around again as Prayut has opened an attack on the health care system as "too expensive." This is the general who seized power from a democratically-elected government and then immediately raised the military budget while lowering the education budget. To say nothing of the 36 billion baht for the upcoming purchase of submarines. So, "too expensive" is in the eye of the beholder. A study by scientists at M.I.T. found that the 30 bath scheme reduced infant mortality in its first year by 15%. Other studies have found that the health care system has reduced poverty over all by 30%. It will be just one more national disgrace if he gets away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toknarok Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 As much as I dislike Thaksin personally I have to give him credit for introducing the 30 baht health scheme.(OK it might'nt have been his idea but he implemented it) It made a huge difference to the welfare of people up here in Isaan. Should the Junta scrap or interfere with the scheme then there would be enormous social unrest here and any thoughts of 'reconciliation' or 'happiness to the people' would disappear overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitawatWatawit Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 It's a two-edged sword. On the one hand a boon to the poor, on the other a problem for the overall health system in that it has turned doctors into robotic assembly lines. I'm in the social security system, and every 2 months I go to my SS hospital for a checkup and pill top up. Every time, the waiting room is full and every time the doctors on duty are turning over 10-20 patients an hour, and looking frazzled and fed up. Can't blame them when they are expected to dish out antibiotics for a runny nose. (My cardio, in a rare moment of weakness, said this exact same thing to me.) Prayut, however, must continue to support this system, but at the very least he should revamp it and spend money on a community nursing type of thing so that hospital doctors don't bear the brunt of dealing with minor issues. Properly trained nurses like they have in the British and NZ systems are a blessing to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Topic closed for being political. See: Policy In General Regarding Thailand Political Discussions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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