Pradit floats idea for a regional health fund

Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said most of the hospitals in the five provinces along the border are having to shoulder the burden of providing healthcare services to migrant workers and non-Thais crossing the border.

Each year, the ministry has to spend more than Bt100 million to provide medical services to migrant workers and non-Thai citizens in five Tak districts along the border. 

The government has allowed migrant workers to buy health insurance cards for Bt1,900 each to access medical services from hospitals they are registered with. But it found that only 32,154 workers had bought the insurance. Meanwhile, the ministry has spent more than Bt29 million to provide treatment for them and more than Bt112 million has been spent on non-Thais who have not registered yet.

More than 80 per cent of migrant workers serve the non-industrial sector. HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, respiratory, and food and water-borne diseases are the main threats faced by people living across the border.

To resolve the problem in the long term, Pradit has floated the idea of setting up a health fund in the region, including Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. “We have to encourage our neighbouring countries to set up a universal healthcare scheme like in Thailand. I think they should have better access to healthcare service in their home countries,” Pradit said.

The ministry will also ask those who do not have insurance to pay some amount for the medical services. 

The ministry will also allocate Bt310 million to help affected hospitals along the border.