A Chiang Rai-based hospital director has been named Outstanding Rural Doctor for 2012 by Siriraj Hospital's faculty of medicine.
Somprat: Tells locals how to prevent HIV
Somprat Manjit, director of Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital, received the 180,000-baht prize at the hospital on Monday.
The award, created in honour of Udom Posakrissana, former dean of the faculty and former public health minister, is given annually to doctors who work for the benefit of rural people.
From Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Dr Somprat was chosen from among 26 candidates for his dedication in working at rural hospitals in Chiang Rai for over 22 years.
He is also director at Khun Tan Hospital, where he has developed several healthcare initiatives such as an HIV/Aids prevention programme and a community-based long-term healthcare system for the elderly.
Under the HIV/Aids programme, Dr Somprat has run a campaign to educate locals on HIV prevention measures. The virus had a high rate of prevalence in border towns, including Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai, about 20 years ago.
At that time, HIV-positive people faced discrimination and stigmatisation, Dr Somprat said.
One father even asked a doctor to provide a lethal injection to his HIV-positive son, he recalled.
Dr Somprat's campaign has created better understanding among local people about the disease and promoted the rights of people living with HIV/Aids, the award selection committee found.
"Thai youth today may dream of becoming a celebrity, but when I was young, I dreamt of being a rural doctor," Dr Somprat said.
His path was inspired by speeches given by rural doctors while he was a medical student at Siriraj.
Dr Somprat also runs the Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital foundation, which provides financial support to needy patients and grants scholarships to underprivileged students.
After finding that a high number of people in Chiang Rai have respiratory problems, Dr Somprat recently initiated a programme to encourage locals to undergo regular hospital check-ups.
Anupan Tantiwongse, an award selection committee member, said Dr Somprat was the perfect model of a rural doctor who dedicated himself to his work.
The committee chose Dr Somprat because of his talent in developing effective rural healthcare services.