The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has introduced a prosthetic fistula made of natural rubber for subscribers of the universal healthcare (UHC), also known as the "gold card" scheme, in a bid to save more than 540 million baht of the medical budget.
Dr Athaporn Limpanylers, deputy secretary-general of the NHSO, said on Tuesday that he inspected on July 18-19 the fistula meant for UHC subscribers in Yala and Songkhla.
He said he was told of the products by Dr Worawit Wanichsuwan, director of research at the Medical Institute of Prince of Songkla University (PSU).
The prosthetic fistula was funded by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). The PSU took about six years to finish the research, Dr Worawit said.
Researchers used natural rubber from the South to produce it, based on the suitability of the environment and weather, he added.
The NHSO has been scouting the product in a bid to purchase it in bulk and support its Thai subscribers who are happy to use a prosthetic fistula made in Thailand, which it can provide without charge to support Thai medical products, Dr Worawit said.
Before the introduction of this fistula, Thailand had to import similar but more expensive products from other countries, which can be costly as one patient must use five sets of a prosthetic fistula, and each one costs around 300 baht.
About 54,000 gold card subscribers require a prosthetic fistula and excretory support each year.
If all of the scheme's 150,000 members used a prosthetic fistula for one year, the NHSO would have to pay 2.25 billion baht.
However, the new product costs just 190 baht, translating into huge savings, Dr Worawit said.
Dr Athaporn said the NHSO has stressed the importance of using innovative Thai products to replace those imported from abroad.
Not only will this save money, but it will support Thai manufacturers and improve the economy, he added.