The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has teamed up with Krung Thai Bank to give away condoms and contraceptive pills to Thai citizens insured by the universal health coverage (UHC) scheme via the Pao Tang mobile application.
Dr Jadej Thammatacharee, the NHSO secretary-general, said the plan aims to prevent unplanned pregnancy among teenagers and sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, HPV cervical cancer and Aids.
From Feb 1, Thais can receive condoms and contraceptive pills from medical centres or from the Pao Tang mobile app.
According to the NHSO website, Thai women aged between 15 to 59 can request 13 packs of contraceptive pills per year on the Pao Tang mobile app and show the prescription at a pharmacy or clinic registered under the NHSO. For those who do not have a smartphone, they can access the service at medical centres registered under the NHSO.
Thai men over 13 years old can register for ten condoms each per week free of charge. They can also collect free condoms from their nearest medical centres using their ID card.
"The NHSO has consistently collaborated with Krung Thai Bank over the years, such as free giveaways of rapid antigen test kits via the Pao Tang app or seasonal flu vaccines during May to August," he added.
Tawatchai Cheevanon, Krung Thai Bank Vice President, said that healthcare is one of the five main ecosystems of the bank.
As a state-owned bank, Krung Thai Bank has introduced the Krungthai Digital Health Platform to provide equal access to health services to Thai people. Moreover, the platform also implements NHSO's UHC, including health promotion and disease prevention plans.
He said that the Pao Tang app has more than 40 million users who can make appointments and access their medical services on the mobile app around the clock.
People can also look up hospitals and medical centres registered under the NHSO on the Pao Tang app or by visiting nhso.go.th/page/hospital. A 1330 hotline is another channel of communication for the scheme, which runs until Sept 30.