The Yingluck Shinawatra government plans to issue health cards for both Thai and migrant children under the age of six for free basic health care, including vaccinations.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said yesterday the government has worked out policy guidelines to improve basic healthcare services for children and women, including children of migrant workers.
The Health Ministry moved to improve healthcare services after learning of a study that found about 7% of about 5 million Thai children aged from birth to six years had an IQ below normal and most children of migrant workers had no access to basic healthcare services.
“In view of the problems, the government will issue health cards for both Thai and migrant children aged from birth to six years,” Mr Witthaya said.
With the health cards, migrant children will receive necessary basic health care such as free vaccinations, he said.
Other services that need to be improved included pregnancy checkups, healthcare clinics for children, preschool child care centres and centres to help abused children.
Mr Witthaya spoke after a meeting at Government House to discuss basic welfare rights under the state’s healthcare system.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Labour Minister Padermchai Sasomsap and representatives from relevant agencies.
Meanwhile, Dr Paichit Warachit, permanent-secretary for public health, yesterday met provincial public health chiefs and rural doctors to discuss the reinstatement of the 30-baht universal healthcare scheme.
The scheme, which was introduced by the Thaksin Shinawatra government in 2001 and abolished by the Surayud Chulanont government in 2006, will be brought back on Sept 1.
The Surayud government overhauled the project into a free universal healthcare service which was later maintained under the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration.
Under the latest incarnation of universal health care, patients will be able to show their ID cards to switch their hospital of choice four times a year, compared to the current twice a year.
The scheme will be carried out by community hospitals, provincial hospitals and some participating private hospitals.
Dr Paichit said the ability of patients to change their hospitals would greatly improve their quality of life as they can now be treated closer to home in case of emergencies.
However, some observers said the Pheu Thai-led government is merely trying to rebrand and reinstate the 30-baht policy to reflect the achievements of its predecessor, Thaksin’s now-dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party.
The resurrection of the programme also raised concerns among rural doctors who have to deal with increased expectations from patients.
According to a pamphlet distributed by government agencies, physicians will be expected to work from 8am to 4pm with no lunch break after the policy takes effect on Sept 1.
Arak Wongworachat, former president of the rural doctor society, said at the meeting that the required working hours for doctors are impractical, especially in the countryside where there is only one doctor treating patients at a single hospital.
Dr Arak said that apart from handling outpatients, the doctors also have to tend to emergency cases which at times happen at night.
This would lead to a decrease in the quality of the treatment, he said.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/308733/health-cards-to-cover-basic-child-care
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