Reports of an unusual spike in the number of patients from neighbouring countries seeking treatment at hospitals along the border have raised concerns about the ability of the nation's public healthcare system to handle the increased burden.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post, deputy permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry Montien Kanasawadse said the system was designed to ensure everyone on Thai soil access basic healthcare, regardless where they come from.
Dr Montien said the government has created various funds to cover the expenses and is constantly working with various international organisations that could provide assistance on the matter.
He dismissed concerns about the influx of foreign patients, saying only three groups of non-Thai nationals are eligible to access free healthcare services in Thailand, he said.
They are stateless people in the process of verifying their Thai nationality and who have a 13-digit Thai identification number; foreign workers with work permits and are registered under a social security programme by their Thai employers, and migrant workers under the foreign health insurance fund.
Montien: Not everyone is eligible
'PUBLIC CONCERNS'
Public concern about the influx of foreign patients began with a post on a Facebook page, Drama-addict, which claimed border hospitals are facing difficulties due to a spike in visits by non-Thai patients from neighbouring countries who want to take advantage of the kingdom's universal healthcare coverage.
The post also claimed an increasing number of pregnant migrants are turning up at Thai hospitals to give birth so their children can have Thai citizenship.
Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, a member of the national committee on public healthcare reform, said the Public Health Ministry is ignoring a growing problem that could jeopardise the public healthcare system.
He said the ministry should realise that the government is already struggling to provide public healthcare services to Thais due to its limited resources, adding a surge of foreign patients along the border would only add to the strain on medical facilities and staff.
The situation had gone beyond "humanitarian aid" because it is becoming a business, he said.
Many migrants had paid for fake job employment papers which could get them the right to free public healthcare under Thai law.
"If the government fails to tackle the problem, our public healthcare system could fail under the added strain.
"International agencies should develop a better healthcare system in these countries. Thailand shouldn't be responsible for their citizens," Dr Thiravat said.
Thiravat: Healthcare service under pressure
REALITY ON THE GROUND
A senior doctor at Mae Sot Hospital in Tak province who declined to be named said the situation is not new.
The hospital, located near the Myanmar border, regularly sees non-Thai patients, who account for 40% of all patients, due to the limited service and treatment capacity in their hometown.
Most pay for the service.
Some with no ability to pay were brought to the hospital by international NGOs which take charge of their medical bill.
"The situation hasn't caused a strain on our finances. The hospital can operate with support from the 30-baht universal healthcare scheme as well as healthcare fund for stateless people and other financial support schemes," he said.
However, he said, it would be a lot better if Myanmar developed its own public healthcare service to meet local needs.
Dr Supakit Sirilak, director of the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI), said the government allocates money each year for a public healthcare fund to support hospitals along the border and care for stateless people in the country.
They include 700,000 people whose Thai nationality is in the process of being verified. When these people claimed healthcare rights at the hospital, misperceptions might arise among the public, he said.
"This shouldn't cause any tensions," he said, before reminding that not all foreign patients are eligible.
Meanwhile, Nimit Thian-Udom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, said hospitals should maintain a flexible approach for individuals suffering from sickness, regardless of where the come from. He said the government should put more effort into providing medical services to alien workers to improve their well-being.
Dr Montien, the Public Health Ministry deputy permanent secretary, said migrants who are unable to pay for medical services may request assistance from the healthcare unit, which will consider their based on humanitarian principles.
The expenses that cannot be collected from the patients will be partly covered by contributions from humanitarian organisations, he said.
Supakit: Misperceptions might arise
Nimit: Maintain humanitarian principle