Rehabilitation fund ups effort to reach disabled

“We have now clearly identified the target groups of the fund,” National Health Security Office (NHSO) secretary-general Dr Sakchai Kanjanawatana said. 
He was speaking after the NHSO board approved new guidelines for the Provincial Rehabilitation Fund that hand more influence to networks who work for the physically challenged. The number of these networks’ representatives on the fund’s board will rise from one to three. 
Launched in 2009, the Physical Rehabilitation Fund offers access to rehabilitation services and devices to improve the lives of people with physical impairments. The fund is now aiming to integrate its services for improved efficiency. 
“We have revised guidelines governing the Physical Rehabilitation Fund in collaboration with the Local Administration Department in the hope of reaching out better to the physically challenged, the elderly, patients with sub-acute symptoms and those who are dependent,” Sakchai said. 
He pointed out that the fund’s target groups should enjoy better access to basic services under the new guidelines. 
“We hope to give them a better life, while at the same time improving our budget efficiency,” Sakchai said. 
Initially, the budget for the Physical Rehabilitation Fund came from the NHSO and the participating provincial administrative organisations at the ratio of 100:40. But today the ratio is 100:100.

More organisations involved
Back in 2009, just two provincial administrative organisations joined this fund. But at present, as many as 42 provincial administrative organisations are involved. 
Saree Ongsomwang, who sits on the NHSO subcommittee on participation by all sides in health security, said local administrative bodies were, by law, required to care for the elderly who were dependent.
As for the physically challenged, the latest survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed Thailand had about 3.7 million people with disabilities. 
People aged over 60 account for about 20.6 per cent of the physically challenged. 
Conducted in 2017, the survey found the percentage of the physically challenged to overall population was higher in the North and the Northeast than in other regions of Thailand. 
The percentages were at 7.0 and 6.5 respectively. 
The NSO conducts surveys on physical disabilities every five years. 
According to the survey, 98.5 per cent of the physically challenged have access to state-provided medical services. 
But of the physically challenged, only 43.8 per cent have registered for monthly state subsidies. 
More than half of the physically challenged do not register themselves as physically disabled due to many reasons. 
Some do not consider themselves handicapped, some do not think their condition will qualify them for the subsidy, while some do not know that they can register for state help.
When asked which forms of help they want most, the most common answers were carers, loans for livelihood, support for them to work independently, housing adjustment and counselling. 
The survey found that just 40.6 per cent of physically challenged people aged between 15 and 59 have ever held a job.