PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 04:00
The Public Health Ministry has sent 20 million baht in funding to Umphang Hospital in Tak province to assist in the medical emergency along the Thai-Myanmar border after the hospital was reported to be facing a financial crisis and had lost 40 million baht of its liquidity.
Dr Opas Kankawinpong, the health ministry’s permanent secretary, said the political turmoil in Myanmar had caused an influx of ethnic people across the Thai border. Many have turned to Umphang Hospital for help causing a spike in its operating costs.
He said the Public Health Ministry sent the 20 million baht in funding in July to ease the situation temporarily.
Dr Opas noted the lack of liquidity stemmed from the political unrest in ethnic states in Myanmar, which resulted in a large number of migrants seeking refuge in Thailand and requesting medical help.
“I have assigned officials to investigate whether local hospitals along the Thai-Myanmar border are facing the same situation as Umphang Hospital and for them to draw up solutions,” said Dr Opas.
He added that Umphang Hospital is listed under the “One Province One Hospital” scheme, where hospitals in each health district share medical staff, budgets and resources to support one another.
On Aug 9, Dr Worawit Tantiwattanasap, director of Umphang Hospital, said the 2023 fiscal year marks the first time in three decades that the hospital has over 40 million baht in deficit, largely resulting from its treatment of immigrant patients.
Some 25% of migrant inpatients and half of migrant outpatients reportedly cannot afford their medical bills.
Many patients were hospitalised due to the outbreak of fighting in the Kawkareik border town of Myanmar’s Karen State as well as an ongoing malaria flare-up, said Dr Worawit.
Besides, he added that more migrants have come to Tak province to have their babies delivered.
Umphang Hospital has settled a community isolation programme in Myanmar to slow down migration to Thailand. However, the operating cost of the programme cannot be reimbursed from the Public Health Ministry, resulting in a deficit of the hospital’s budget.