PUBLISHED: 21 Aug 2024 at 18: 34
A pilot initiative offering health care at any hospital in Bangkok for 30 baht, according to Caretaker Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, will have to be postponed pending formation of the new government.
The project is intended to be a component of the 2002 launch of the universal health coverage program ( UHCS), also known as the gold card.
People are typically required to visit clinics they have registered with the UHCS before moving on to other institutions to receive specialized care.
This bureaucracy causes inconvenience and deteres many patients from seeking medical care, particularly if they reside far away from their listed hospitals or in other provinces.
By uploading and sharing heath data between various hospitals and clinics, the captain scheme aims to overhaul the country’s healthcare system. It will help UHCS beneficiaries to obtain healthcare and medical supplies from any location that has been approved by the program.
To obtain the service, they may display their identification cards at designated health facilities.
The project has been expanded to 46 provinces, with Bangkok the latest province joining the program that was actually scheduled to begin on Monday.
But, Mr. Somsak claimed on Wednesday that the project had been put off for an indefinite period while the new government was being created and its decisions were being made public.
Mr. Somsak denied that the delay was caused by the inaction of several agencies. He emphasized that the government had already laid the foundation for the project and had engaged in testing.  ,
” Despite the delay, the government will push ahead the project and see it through”, said Mr Somsak.
Somchai Krajangsaeng, a part of the Thailand Consumer Council’s health services sub-committee, said institutions participating in the company may meet certain requirements before they can recognize people.
They may show the task logo. Additionally, there have been conferences held to finalize the financial plans for the participating hospitals so that they have enough money to keep the program in Bangkok going.
He also emphasized the need for open communication with the general public to prevent overcrowding at prestigious institutions like Siriraj, Vajira, Phra Mongkutklao, and university-affiliated facilities that are capable of carrying out advanced techniques.