Panel all set to fix health sector's P4P system
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A working committee has recommended that between Bt200 million and Bt500 million is needed to cover remedial actions for community hospital medical workers affected by the new pay-for-performance (P4P) system.
The P4P scheme was put in effect on April 1 despite strong protests from the Rural Doctors’ Society (RDS). The RDS managed to get the Public Health Ministry to finally agree to review the P4P, for which a work panel was set up to recalculate the remuneration system for state medical workers.
Kanit Saengsuphan, who chairs the panel, said yesterday that at least Bt500 million was already available for the remedial action.
“So, they should be implemented from as early as next week,” he said, adding that it would take another week to determine how medical workers at other types of hospitals were affected and how much money would be needed to compensate them as well.
According to Dr Prachumporn Booncharoen, the P4P system has reduced the monthly income of doctors and dentists at general and provincial hospitals by about Bt1,000 to Bt2,000. She chairs the Thai Federation of General and Central Hospital Doctors, which is not against the implementation of P4P.
“But if the medical workers at community hospitals have their payments rectified, then we should get the same treatment,” Prachumporn said.
Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said he had introduced the P4P system so hard-working medical personnel could benefit.
However, RDS believes the system will lure rural doctors to urban areas where they can get more patients and thus further aggravate the shortage of medical workers in remote areas.
Hence, it has been waging stiff opposition against the scheme. Some community hospitals affiliated with RDS have not even prepared documents for the implementation of the P4P.
Pradit said yesterday that his ministry would try to offer remedial actions to people affected by the P4P before the end of this month.
“But we need to consult the Finance Ministry first,” he said.
National Health Security Office’s deputy secretary-general Dr Peerapol Suttiwisetsak said there would be no need to seek additional funding from the government to remedy the situation because the Public Health Ministry had enough funds for the purpose.
Kanit said the office was planning to set up a new pay-calculation system.
According to Kanit, Public Health Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Dr Suphan Srithamma will soon consider the new system.
“We expect the Public Health Ministry to draft regulations for the implementation of the new pay-calculation system within two months,” Kanit said, adding that his panel would meet again next month.
