The Facebook page "Nurse team Thailand" on Wednesday asked nurses working for the Public Health Ministry to change their Facebook profile picture to a message threatening en masse resignations on Sept 30, after the cabinet rejected 10,992 new permanent positions for nurses.
The message on the Facebook page apparently reflected the frustrations of temporary nurses working for the ministry. Their representatives have complained about their heavy workload and low remuneration.
On Tuesday the cabinet considered the Public Health Ministry's request for 11,442 permanent positions for professional nurses in the next ten years.
The proposed positions included 10,992 at public hospitals, which have experienced staff shortages and heavy workloads. The other 450 positions were for nurses at local hospitals in border provinces.
The cabinet approved only the 450 new positions, and instructed the Public Health Ministry to fill only existing permanent positions at public hospitals. It told the ministry to consider outsourcing to solve personnel shortages.
Dr Sophon Mekthon, permanent secretary for health, earlier said that the Public Health Ministry was experiencing a shortage of nurses due to multiple reasons, including an ageing and growing population, a broader range of health services, plans to develop Thailand as a medical hub, and a "brain drain" to private hospitals.