September 12, 2000
One baht heart Dr Boonruang Triruangworawat examines Siriwan Neauthong's little brother for the sum of one baht. If you thought one baht couldn't possibly bear the cost of anything these days, one doctor will prove you wrong Story And Pictures By Ukrit Kungsawanich On a typical day, Siriwan Neauthong, 12, cannot even afford an ice-cream to cool herself off in the sweltering climate. She only has one baht in her pocket. But one Sunday when she was left to babysit her baby brother who had a high fever, the single silver coin was enough to save him from serious illness. Siriwan dressed her brother up and brought him to the community square situated in the hub of her neighbourhood, Onnuj 40 Rai Community. There she heard that the Kong Tun Nuai Baht Diaw (One Baht Fund) had arrived and was providing medical treatment for one baht. Siriwan met Dr Boonruang Triruangworawat, aka Khun Mor Baht Diaw (One Baht Doctor), who started this fund in 1993 when he was a doctor at Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital. Once or twice a month, a group of volunteers, nurses, physicians and dentists from the hospital would travel to low-income areas and open a one-day clinic. Since 1993, Dr Boonruang and his assistants have travelled to many slums in and around Bangkok. To maintain the charge of only one baht, Dr Boonruang organises two annual fund-raising mini-marathons to cover the cost of medication. Over the years, Dr Boonruang has learned that health care system in Thailand is plagued with many serious problems needing immediate attention. For example, the rising costs of the medical system renders it unaffordable to the general public. "The poor have to pay a lot to go to the hospital," he said. In Onnuj 40 Rai Community, the closest hospital is at least 45 minutes away by car and longer by public transport. "They have to pay for transportation and sometimes wait at the hospital four to six hours to get basic medication. The line is too long in the public hospitals, and the bill is way too hefty in private institutions. It is such a big problem for them." For many in the community, the solution is the local pharmacy. Inexpensive but often ineffective, more often than not it is throwing good money after bad. Ask Hong Buachit, who is a frequent customer at the local roadside pharmacies. "I pay 70 to 80 baht per visit and sometimes my symptoms get worse," said Hong. Dr Boonruang believes that these people deserve much better from the government. "People here don't like to go to hospital because they are often treated as second-class citizens. Social security and healthcare security cards regrettably contribute nothing to help those in most need." So, on one Sunday of each month, Dr Boonruang's mobile clinic travels to the poorest residential areas of Bangkok to provide standard treatments. "Recurrent problems are common colds, skin conditions, and gastrointestinal diseases stemming from poor sanitation." Powgkaew Tosayanond spends her day off educating children on health issues with hip songs and fun games. Dr Boonruang goes on to explain why he charges one baht for the job. "Handing out free drugs does more harm than good. People don't have any value for free treatment." To be on the safe side, the doctors of the One Baht Fund will not give out medication without seeing the patient in person. "Many people come to get drugs for their relatives, but whatever excuses they give, we won't dispense until we actually see and diagnose the patient in person." However, there are sick people in the community who are scared to come out in the open. "People with HIV are scared to come to us because they don't want their families to know." With all the misconceptions about the disease, such as that transmission of the virus can be air-borne, and the moral issues behind this deadly disease, Aids patients are generally discriminated against. "These people usually go to the NGOs, temples or other foundations directly involved with the issue. We don't do blood tests or any complicated techniques that require specialised equipment," Dr Boonruang said. The main concern for Dr Boonruang is the drug abuse that is prevalent in almost all low-income communities. "Amphetamine (Ya Ma or Ya Ba) is the biggest problem," he said. "People have to work odds and ends jobs to earn a couple of hundred baht. Without the drug, they can't stay awake when they have to work on a night shift. "This is the conundrum that these people have to face-take the pills and work more or leave the family with empty stomachs." These low-income people are not only inclined toward drug abuse but also to arthritis and muscle problems due to inadequate attention to safety in the work place. "Complaints about backache and sore necks are quite common among the working age group here because they engage in labour-intensive jobs that lack proper ergonomic features. I think the government should look more into the field of occupational health and safety,"said Dr Boonruang. Joint pains are also very common among the elderly. Ankana Puntoomsud, 67, visited Dr Boonruang because her hands went numb for no apparent reason. Ankana had seen a doctor previously in a public hospital, but the problem persisted. "I paid 540 baht and I didn't feel any better," she complained. "I don't have enough money to pay that much every time I visit the doctor. That's why I am applying for health security card but it takes a long time to get one." In fact, no one told her that since she is over 60, she has the right to free hospital care in any public hospital in Thailand. The government provides this welfare to all senior citizens. But a lack of education and knowledge concerning personal and social rights makes Ankana just one of many who are clueless about our healthcare system. This is another reason why Kong Tun Baht Diaw spends time in poor communities-to raise awareness about health issues and care, and to ensure that the public understand and receive what they are entitled to. Powgkaew Tosayanond, from the Department of Social Medicine, says you need to educate the children how to protect themselves and their families from illness. Dental hygiene instruction is needed in poor communities because a visit to a dentist costs too much. "Many children here have dental problems and we must teach them how to brush their teeth correctly," she said. "Sweets and fizzy drinks are cheap and are often over-consumed, leading to rotting teeth." By teaching them to be more careful, Powgkaew says they are attacking the problems at the roots. "For example, the risk of malaria is very high here. And to ameliorate the condition, we have to teach the children how to destroy the mosquitoes' breeding ground. "The kids have fun and at the same time learn to be more cautious. Cheap medication isn't enough to help the community in the long term. We can't come here every week to fix problems. We must teach people how to maintain basic health," said Powgkaew. And taking care of themselves means staying away from drugs. "Drugs are used mostly among teenagers who live in poor areas. We bring former patients, who have successfully completed rehabilitation programmes, to talk about the trauma and the damage done by drugs," Dr Boonruang said. Even the band that travel with the One Baht Fund to entertain children on Sunday mornings are all rehabilitated drug addicts. "When those who have been there before tell their own true-life stories, the teenagers are able to relate and understand that there are ways out. A 15-minute-long lecture would only send them to sleep," Dr Boonruang smiled. After a day dedicated to helping poor communities feel better physically and mentally, the crew count up all the coins received that day, 2,510 baht to be exact, and give it all to the school's luncheon fund. "That money will at least able to fill the plates for many poor children during lunch hours. Now you see how much you can do with one baht." Info for donations: - Name of the organisation: Kong Tun Nuai Baht Diaw - Contact persons: Dr Boonruang Triruangworawat (Thanyarak Hospital), Powgkaew Tosayanond (Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital) - Addresses: Thanyarak Hospital, 504/1 Viphavadi Rangsit Road, Thanyaburi district, Pathum Thani or Department of Social Medicine, Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, Ram-intra Road, Kannayaw district, Bangkok 10230 - Tel/Fax: Thanyarak Hospital, 531-0080-86, 531-2909 Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, 917-9814, 517-4270-9 ext 1438, 1305 - "We care" is a fortnightly series honouring people who believe in giving. In addition to supporting these causes, you can let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can make more people aware of their efforts. Fax "We care" on 240-3668 or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or 3212. Email can be sent to sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net. For a comprehensive list of charities covered by Outlook's "We Care" series, see the Bangkok Post Web site at www.bangkokpost. net/outlookwecare.		Daily Main Entrance Page Local News Business Outlook Weekly IT news Horizons Travel NiteOwl (Trink) Real.Time Motoring Student Weekly Entertainment & Lifestyle What's on Dining out Recipe of the week Movies Music Book Review Beauty Fitness Nutrition NEW! Prominent Businesses Travel Thailand & beyond Special Publications Current Issues in Thailand Silpa Thai site Bangkok Post Year-end Economic Review Post Database 10 years Annual Report Education Learn English with the Bangkok Post Society We Care Phudhong Leper Colony Foundation Bangkok Post Newspaper Foundation Past Issues Calendar Page for recent issues Bangkok Post Archives by Samart Classifieds Classifieds index Jobs Property Entertainment Investment Education Travel Sales Bookstore Post Books Company Services Contact Us Subscriptions Internet Advertising Classified Ads Allied Printers
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