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Baht/$ 34.57/62 (Bid/Ask)
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GOLD |
13,100
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29% more for state facility upgrades
CHATRUDEE THEPARAT
The government yesterday increased the investment budget for public-health facilities under its megaproject programme to 103 billion baht, 23 billion baht or 29% higher than the 80 billion baht proposed earlier.
The new investments are scheduled to be made between 2009 and 2012, and are more than double the budget of 45 billion baht originally planned.
The increase reflected higher public demand for health care, said Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee.
The spending includes investment plans by Ramathibodi Hospital and Chulalongkorn Hospital, two of the largest public health facilities in Bangkok, for the four-year period.
Dr Surapong reviewed the spending plans yesterday at a meeting of a working group that includes the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB).
Of the total budget, 7.6 billion baht would be allocated to upgrade 1,000 community medical service centres, 9.8 billion to upgrade 154 state hospitals in districts, and 22.30 billion to improve hospitals in the provinces.
Another 19.8 billion baht would go to set up specialty centres for cardiac care, cancer treatment and emergency care, with 19.1 billion to develop hospital networks to provide emergency services, and 9.19 billion to upgrade integrated services to the elderly.
The remaining funds would be allocated to information technology and medical personnel development.
Dr Surapong said the Budget Bureau, NESDB and the Finance Ministry would further review details of the investment projects in order to prevent any duplication.
''The government has not made any major investments in public health for 10 years. These megaprojects are aimed at directly upgrading the standard of Thai public health,'' said Dr Surapong, a medical doctor by training.
He said residents in remote areas should be entitled to a similar standard of health care as urban residents.
The proposal is scheduled to go before a committee on public health megaprojects chaired by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej next week before being forwarded to the cabinet for approval.
The health-care projects are part of a broader, 1.7-trillion-baht investment plan to upgrade the country's mass-transit, logistics, education, irrigation and public utilities systems.
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