Head of hospital group warns of doctor shortage
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Thailand needs to drastically ramp up its training of physicians, as 40,000 more doctors are needed to provide quality healthcare, but only 2,500 graduate every year, the Private Hospital Association said yesterday.
“Thailand still has a severe doctor shortage and there are not enough to provide medical services,” said Dr Chalerm Hanpanich, president of the association.
The doctor shortage has to be resolved to enhance the country’s competitiveness ahead of the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC), the doctor said.
There are not enough physicians to provide medical services not only for the 67 million Thais but also the more than 3 million foreigners, including migrant workers and tourists, expected to be in the country when the AEC kicks off in 2015, Chalerm said.
According to a report by the Public Health Ministry, Thailand has 43,424 physicians working at public and private hospitals across the country. To provide high quality medical services, that figure needs to be doubled.
The 2011 World Health Statistics report of the World Health Organisation showed that in Thailand, there are just three physicians for every 10,000 patients, compared to 18.3 in Singapore, 9.4 in Malaysia, 11.5 in the Philippines and 12.2 in Vietnam.
In Norway, the United Kingdom and US, the ratios were 42, 27 and 24.
A recent survey by the Medical Council found that 18 medical schools across the country could produce only 2,500 doctors per year. The council expects that Thailand would have 10,000 more physicians in five years.
Chalerm was speaking at a seminar on “The Direction for Private Hospital” organised by the Marketing Pharmacy Association of Thailand.
If physician output is not enough to provide medical services in the country, the government should import MDs from other countries, the doctor said.
The government should also designate Thailand as the medical education hub for Southeast Asia and interest students from neighbouring countries who want to be a doctor to study at medical schools in Thailand, he said.
To enhance the country’s competitive edge under the AEC, the government has to revise some laws such as the Hospital Act and National Health Act, which block the capacity of private hospitals to compete, Chalerm insisted.
The government should give tax privileges to private hospitals and also use the same standard to regulate public and private hospitals. This would help the government to upgrade hospital standards nationwide, he added.
