The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has added three traditional cannabis-based medicines to Universal Healthcare Coverage, known as the gold card scheme.
NHSO secretary-generalJadet Thammathataree said on Tuesday the NHSO board meeting on May 2 approved the inclusion of three cannabis-based remedies - ya kae lom kae sen, which promotes good sleep and food intake; ya suk sai yat for treatment of paralysis; and ya thamlai phra sumeru for muscular pain and limb numbness.
The NHSO was cooperating with the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, which would provide the medicines. Gold card members would have access to the medicines without cost. The medicines would be provided by Thai traditional medicine units in hospitals. The NHSO had allocated a 3,706,346 baht budget for the medicines, Dr Jadet said.
The NHSO has preciously approved cannabis oil as a treatment for cancer, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy patients.