Published on January 12, 2006

Two private Phitsanulok clinics exit plan, sending 40,000 patients to govt facility

Two private hospitals in Phitsanulok have withdrawn from the government-regulated social security scheme partly because of a new government reimbursement policy that will burden dental care providers, a senior government doctor said yesterday.

Dr Thawatchai Kamoltham said the decision by the two unnamed hospitals had resulted in more than 40,000 patients under the scheme seeking treatment at the state-run Phuttha Shinnaraj hospital, making its routine medical operations even more difficult.

The hospital’s dental care department now has patients seeking regular services on a waiting list that stretches into April.

“Only eight dentists now treat more than 100 patients a day. It’s very hard work for everyone here,” said Thawatchai, head of the provincial public health office.

Hospital director Dr Choosak Ua-wijitphojjana, said the state hospital was taking care of more than 600,000 patients under various government welfare services and another 15,000 under the social security scheme alone. Now it has to cope with another 40,000 patients who were previously under the care of both private hospitals.

Chief dentist Dontree Kharutthadillakanant, said the overburdened routine services at his department occupied all staff, and resulted in the department’s performance evaluation grade dropping to only 80 per cent last year.

Specialist dental care consumes even more time for each appointment, Dontree said. Orthodontics requires four years in advance for an appointment, and denture applications two years. For simple fillings and tartar removal there is a two-month waiting list.

Meanwhile, Labour Ministry permanent secretary Jaruphong Ruengsuwan, said he had complied with a request by the Dentists’ Council of Thailand to agree on a contract that dentists, whether they work in state or private hospitals or private dental clinics, would receive treatment payments directly from the Social Security Office (SSO).

Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said earlier that SSO executives would hold a meeting to discuss whether denture applications should be still included as one of the four services entitled to free treatment under the scheme.

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