Prayut asks for donations to support universal healthcare scheme

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Prayut asks for donations to support universal healthcare scheme
Puangchompoo Prasert
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha hopes Thais will donate their money in support of the universal healthcare scheme, according to Public Health Minister Dr Rajata Rajatanavin.

"We are now exploring the guideline to make such donations tax deductible," Rajata said at a meeting of the National Heath Security Office (NHSO) board.

NHSO manages the universal healthcare scheme, which covers 49 million Thais. As the scheme offers most kinds of medical treatment to people for free, it now needs a budget of about Bt120 billion.

Rajata told the meeting that while Prayut was concerned about the scheme's growing budget, he insisted that he had no policy to end it.

"The prime minister has now assigned the Public Health Ministry to explore solutions that will strengthen the sustainability of the scheme. We need to find a way on how to attract the flow of money from other sources, not just from the government," Rajata said.

He said he set up a committee to work on the guidelines of the mobilisation of resources for the universal healthcare scheme's sustainability.

Chairing the committee is Ammar Siamwalla, an expert health economist. Committee members include representatives from the Budget Bureau, the Comptroller General's Department, the Social Security Office, the NHSO, the Health Systems Research Institute, and various other relevant agencies.

Also, Rajata said hospitals would now be able to cover their electricity and repair costs using money from the universal healthcare scheme.

"A hospital can use the budget earmarked for depreciation to repair the hospital's infrastructure, for example," Rajata said.

He said hospitals could spend the per-head subsidy on the expenses of running the facilities, as that would affect neither the fund's objective nor the beneficiaries.

He said the committee on legal interpretation to clarify the management of NHSO, the committee on examination of depreciation spending, and the committee on inspection of benefits from medicine and medical equipment purchasing concluded that hospitals are free to use the NHSO per-head subsidy without breaching the fund objective.

For more than a decade, the NHSO has strictly managed the scheme and its fund, with participating hospitals hardly having any say on how to manage the budget.

Lately, the NHSO's two-time secretary-general Winai Sawasdivorn was transferred out of his post. He had previously been at odds with Dr Narong Sahametapat, who has been moved to the Office of the Prime Minister, though he still retains his post as permanent secretary for Public Health, over the management of the universal healthcare scheme as well as its fund.

Yesterday, it was announced that Dr Prateep Thanakijcharoen would serve as the acting NHSO secretary-general.

Commenting on allowing fund spending, Dr Athaporn Limpanyalerd, an NHSO spokesman, said hospitals would benefit from the latest interpretation of the use of the universal healthcare scheme's flat-rate subsidy.

Athaporn also said patients would not be negatively affected by this decision. On the contrary, they will have a chance to receive better medical care, as the hospitals could manage their operations better.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Prayut-asks-for-donations-to-support-universal-hea-30263900.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-07

[PatOngo]

No money for health care???.............3 Chinese submarines, no problem.

[Bernard Flint]

My partner already pays 500 baht a month out of her wages for healthcare. This man is a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[NongKhaiKid]

This says so much about the mindset of those supposedly running the country.

Grandiose schemes and budget to boot, a major expense in the possible purchase of submarines that aren't needed yet ask for donations to support something as basic as healthcare !

The lunatics are running the asylum.

[BuckBee]

^ Indeed they are, the future is very very bleak :-/

[Bernard Flint]

This says so much about the mindset of those supposedly running the country.

Grandiose schemes and budget to boot, a major expense in the possible purchase of submarines that aren't needed yet ask for donations to support something as basic as healthcare !

The lunatics are running the asylum.

How can any normal thinking person value his thought process.

[shirtless]

I bet Prayut has the best health care taxpayers can buy he is running the country for his own agenda,

[Bluespunk]

"Chairing the committee is Ammar Siamwalla, an expert health economist."

There's a job title that screams, "forget the patients, cut the budget".

[TheAppletons]

"Hey, guys, have you heard about this "crowdfunding" thing? We should totally do that."

[tx22cb]

Scrap crappy schemes like submarines and give the money to Healthcare.

Then ask people for donations to go towards buying submarines ..... and see how many satangs he receives for the subs.

[Toknarok]

'Concerned with the schemes growing budget he insisted he had no policy to end it'

Well Mr Prime Minister why don't you get your arse into gear and FORMULATE a policy. For starters forget about new submarines, how about seriously trimming that bloated senior officer corps that you recently led, and whilst your about it seriously investigate the wealth of those individuals.

The amount of money spent on the bloated military in this Country make the Shinawatra's fiascos seem like peanuts.

[MZurf]

Just waiting for rametindallas, ginjag, djjamie et al to give us their beloved argument;

....but, but, but...Thaksin!!!

[ezzra]

Start with NOT BUYING 3 submarines, and stop throwing good money after bad at those

farmers and never learn anything in their lives how to manage money or water resources,

and that will be a good start.....

[kaorop]

...........................................................................

deleted post because its just blowing off steam in disgust.

[billphillips]

"Universal" healthcare? Surely "national" healthcare is the first priority. I'm quite sure that I read here, a few days ago that the good Gen was going to scrap the ฿30 hospital treatment plan. I would have thought that these two health related items were thought out together. So strange that it makes news as two separate items. It's as if someone were making it up and bawfing their way through anytime a thought entered their head. Nahh, can't be. As posted previously here .... no problem Gen, sell off the subs to a friendly secondhand sub dealer, when you eventually get them, and some of the problem will be solved.

[baboon]

...........................................................................

deleted post because its just blowing off steam in disgust.

I know how you feel. I have JUST managed to restrain myself from pushing 'Post' about 5 times already this morning and risking a ban...

[oneday]

Here's my donation: It's an idea.

Don't purchase those toy submarines and now you instantly have 36 Billion baht to spend on the people of Thailand. Remember, these are the people you are supposed to care for Mr. P.

[konying]

Here's my donation: It's an idea.

Don't purchase those toy submarines and now you instantly have 36 Billion baht to spend on the people of Thailand. Remember, these are the people you are supposed to care for Mr. P.

And that will last only for a few months.

Make people pay taxes to sustain would be a long term solution

[Emster23]

I think he's on to something. Apply this brilliant crowdfunding donation plan to buying the subs. Surly Thai people are well aware they have been sitting ducks for last 50 years due to lack of subs, and will gladly donate $$ to that essential system.

[Songhua]

High speed trains: check

Submarines: check

Floating markets: check

Healthcare:

[FireMedic]

If I was going to run for PM and I wanted to "win over" the people, I would publicly say that I am scrapping wasteful spending to secure healthcare for everyone.

[steveyinasia]

Sell the aircraft carrier, sell the busted blimp, cancel the submarine squad, get a refund on the bomb detectors, get back the money stolen from politicians.....theres a start for you Mr PM.

[Orac]

High speed trains: check

Submarines: check

Floating markets: check

Healthcare:

Don't forget all that money saved from curbing corruption.

[Tatsujin]

Wow, that is seriously taking the piss, especially considering the massive expenditures they are planning for things they don't need (obviously good ways to get those brown paper bags filled).

Here's an alternative suggestion ... how about all the top Military, Police and Government Officials all take a big pay cut to fund the healthcare scheme, there's so many of these guys the scheme could be funded immediately.

[halloween]

So who comes from a country where healthcare DOESN'T cause budget problems?

[TheAppletons]

So who comes from a country where healthcare DOESN'T cause budget problems?

The Norwegians?

[Lupatria]

Tax the rich properly and you won't have to go begging! Btw. wasn't there a threat to crack down on beggars?

[leither69]

"Grasping at straws" comes to mind

[Pib]

Next will come "suggested" donations (and tax deductible) to support military spending.

[Lovekorat]

He's a military man ( not that he's ever had to be involved in 'real' military life, just has a cushy little number thank you), so purchasing submarines will always be more important to him than healthcare for the people he claims 'love him' and he is supposed to be representing.

Has he ever thought to himself I wonder what can I do to make the people like me?

As vie said before he can't touch the real corruption because that is run by the people that allow him to remain in iffice so that's a no go area.

But something like a national healthcare scheme?

Would that do it?

Mmmm he thinks...submarines, healthcare....submarines, healthcare. Oh let's go for the submarines. The Chinese will love us and I look powerful

Will he be making the first donation?

He's got a few bob hasn't he?

He's not going to learn is he