Bilateral plan to boost five border hospitals
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THAI and Myanmar public health leaders plan to develop five |hospitals and health stations along the Myanmar border over the next two years.
They also want to improve Myanmar’s mental health service and expand its network to support city and local areas.
Thai Public Health Minister Dr Rajata Rajatanavin, together with Myanmar Public Health Minister Dr Than Aung, visited Mae Chan Hospital and a tambon health promotion hospital in Chiang Rai province last week to study the health service system and its local and provincial network.
Public health leaders from both countries had agreed in 2013 to a Thai-Myanmar development master plan for 2016-18. It will include five hospitals along the border in Tak province.
Rajata revealed that the plan would focus on hospitals located in distant areas.
Meanwhile, a project to establish a hospital in Myanmar’s Dawei Special Economic Zone, which requires Thai government support, is now being discussed.
A tambon health-promoting hospital in Pasang subdistrict, supported by local volunteers, will care for 4,000 locals including elderly and patients with disabilities or mental disorders. It will help the area in terms of health, economics and life expectancy.
As for the plan to improve Myanmar’s mental health service, Rajata revealed that two projects have been implemented in 2015-16 so far.
First there is a mental health service project in which the Thai government will arrange for training of staff in Myanmar next year from May to July.
Second, the government will enhance the development of disease surveillance, protection and control personnel particularly sexually transmitted diseases. Training will start in May next year.
Furthermore, the World Health Organisation and the Global Fund will provide support for Thailand to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria.
