The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has recruited more hospitals to its gold card universal health scheme after it scrapped contracts with nine private hospitals in Bangkok.
The hospitals were found to have wrongly collected fees, which provided the ground for scrapping the contracts, which ended officially on Oct 1. The move affects about 700,000 patients who had registered for service with the hospitals.
Dr Lalitaya Kongkam, deputy secretary-general of NHSO, yesterday said the NHSO is looking for at least 3-4 hospitals to take part in the scheme in the capital's eastern zone, and also alleviate the workload of Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital in Bangkok's Kan Na Yao district.
In the meantime, NHSO is working with various service units from the private sector and 64 units under the government to provide primary medical services for the gold-card outpatients. The plan is to make NHSO-contracted medical facilities accessible to all gold-card subscribers, she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Kriangkrai Namthaisong, director of Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, said the hospital normally treats about 200,000 gold-card holders a year, but the workload has now increased. Since Oct 1, it must treat another 140,000 card holders.
Dr Kriangkrai said the hospital has provided treatment with the utmost effort and added extra beds to the ward. However, medical personnel are in short supply. Adjacent state hospitals will help take as many patients as they can.
Dr Athaporn Limpanylers, deputy secretary-general of NHSO, said staff had discussed with the Public Health Ministry and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) the transfer to other hospitals of the 700,000 patients.
For now, patients can get services at any medical centres operated by BMA as well as state hospitals including Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, while NHSO looks for new hospitals to join the universal healthcare scheme.