Doctors rebel against B30 patient scheme

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Doctors rebel against B30 patient scheme

Govt plan 'would drive poor into bankruptcy'

Published: 6/02/2012 at 03:33 AM
Newspaper section: News

The Rural Doctors Society has called on state community hospitals to defy new government policy to collect 30 baht from patients who seek treatment under the universal healthcare scheme.

Kriangsak Vatcharanukulkiat, chairman of the Rural Doctors Society, said he would send letters to community hospitals nationwide asking them to consider not collecting 30 baht from patients at each visit. He said such a plan would only drive the poor and vulnerable _ who are a majority of the population _ into bankruptcy.

Dr Kriangsak, who is also director of Chumphae General Hospital in Khon Kaen, made his remarks while speaking at a seminar held by the Thai Journalists Association and the Isara Amantakul Foundation.

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About the author

: Writer: Apiradee Treerutkuarkul; Position: Reporter

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spiceman
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Discussion 23 : 07/02/2012 at 01:52 AM23
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Khun Mrscersei #21, if low-income people make up only 25% or less, then, it is doable, however, with 50% of them, it is virtually impossible. The real problem here is poverty, not healthcare, itself, which continues to expose the abject failure of all the Governments in the past and present, when it comes to sounded economic policy. Now, they just want to double-down on it, which will result in more people slipping into low-income category, instead of focusing on the real problem. Hello, Greece, here we come!
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samut
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Discussion 22 : 06/02/2012 at 07:04 PM22
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30 Baht might be or might be not too expensive for many people, but collecting this amount requires issuing receipts, recording, accounting, keeping the money (bank account) save etc.; the administrative costs will not leave much for covering the cost of the hospital. It might be cheaper for a hospital to provide free health care than charging a small amount which will be eaten-up. What should be enforce is to register every employee with the Social Security Fund than health care can be provided as costs are covered.
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mrscersei
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Discussion 21 : 06/02/2012 at 05:49 PM21
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@Spiceman There's no such thing as free healthcare, but its the job of the taxpayers and the government to pay for the low income people who would otherwise not be able to afford it. Are you suggesting they should just be left to die?
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spiceman
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Discussion 20 : 06/02/2012 at 05:21 PM20
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Khun BKK-Farang #19, is there such a thing as cheap or free healthcare? Remember that, in Economics, there is no free lunch, as it always costs someone, something. And why should my neighbor have to pay for my healthcare and vice versa? Should I be the one who is responsible for my healthcare or that of my family, not my neighbor?
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bkk-farang
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Discussion 19 : 06/02/2012 at 01:44 PM19
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Spiceman from America #17 thinks “Thailand is well on its way to become another bankrupt socialistic wonderland like Greece”. Spiceman, do you really think it would be so bad to have free or cheap healthcare? Do you want to suggest Thailand should go the traditional American capitalist way were lots of people can’t afford any health care or health insurance?
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raimund
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Discussion 18 : 06/02/2012 at 01:42 PM18
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It seems most of you live in Bangkok and have no idea what it means to live upcountry.
If people get sick,they have to travel to the hospital and that is expensive and time consuming too.The government is wasting billions on the healthcare for government employees.But you want the poor pay 30 baht per visit.That would be 10% of their daily wage ,if Yingluck's party real want to pay 300 baht a day,which I doubt. But most of the people upcountry would get 150-200 Baht.
Hillfarang ,do you think these poor guys will waste their money for transportation to get some Para which they can get for ten baht a pack?
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spiceman
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Discussion 17 : 06/02/2012 at 01:16 PM17
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Thailand is well on its way to become another bankrupt socialistic wonderland like Greece, with price control law like minimum wage and socialized medicine. Someone better looks up on the theory on price control and its adversed consequences. If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it's free!

Please, watch "Milton Friedman-Socialized Medicine" on Youtube, to prepare yourself of what to follow. Milton Friedman was a Nobel Prize winner in Economics.
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penkondee
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Discussion 16 : 06/02/2012 at 01:08 PM16
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Paying 30 Bath might be okay for the poor people who a majority in Thai, and they will get a suitable treatment from the hospital. But the hospital can be bankrupted due to every medicine, medical supply, every treatment per patient per visit cost a lot of money particular in IPD patient who had chronic and/or critical patient i.e. patient who undergo to surgery and patient on every ICU. Also if Doctor wants to treat them like a full option so they could be cured and go home, no doubt the cost will so high. I think hospital need to keep low cost so in a real some treatments may use a low quality medicine/material instead than it should be as its cost, that why it may not be ineffective any more. THINK NEW! for the 30 Bath scheme I hope it will have another choice to go HEALTHCARE!.
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ianprince
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Discussion 15 : 06/02/2012 at 01:07 PM15
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Charging 30 baht will add hardship to Thai people.
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oldexp
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Discussion 14 : 06/02/2012 at 12:49 PM14
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Pls. explain:
115-120 million visits per year at 30 Baht leaves one million Baht for the government to collect.
You collect 345-360 million Baht and have 1 million left?
Where does the difference ... what is the difference used for?
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