PUBLISHED: 5 Sep 2024 at 05: 06
Health experts urged the government to review the co-payments program for the general care plan, also known as the 30-baht gold card scheme, after Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin rejected his proposal.
Mr. Somsak stated that he no longer wanted to talk about the co-payment schedule.
” The government is doing its best to take care of people’s wellbeing. No modifications have been made”, he said on Wednesday.
After a network of hospitals and medical staff recently come out and claimed the scheme had been causing problems for state-owned hospitals, Mr. Somsak was responding to reporters ‘ questions about whether the scheme might be up for review. Many people are currently officially experiencing more individual appointments, staff shortages, and financial difficulties.
In order to ensure financial viability, the system requested that the government reform the scheme.
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai Party, which launched the nationalist plan over the past two decades, aims to offer all Thais, particularly the poor, access to medical care.
It was first launched in 2002 with the requirement of a 30-baht co-payment per attend.
But, that was changed a few years after, giving customers the ability to receive free medical care.
Mr. Somsak expressed confidence in the government’s ability to use the federal funds to address the network’s financial problems.
” We can manage it because the amount of money that the co-payment system is missing is only 2 %, which is very little.” The operation is successful. Some individuals have criticised it despite the fact they lack the proper knowledge”, he said.
The National Health Security Office ( NHSO ) has requested an additional 7.1 billion baht to cover the losses it has already made in the absence of treating patients.