Ammar to head team revising Bt30 scheme
A distinguished economist and adviser to the Council for National Security will lead a team revising how the country delivers universal healthcare.
Ammar Siamwalla, who is also a consultant to the Thailand Development Research Institute, has been given two months to rethink health services. "The best solution means maximum benefits for patients, health officials and service providers," Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said yesterday. Academics from the Health Systems Research Institute and universities, as well as hospital representatives, will sit on the panel. The previous government led by Thaksin Shinawatra introduced universal healthcare, widely known as the Bt30 scheme. It has been hugely popular - but left many state hospitals heavily in debt. Since Mongkol was appointed minister earlier this month several suggestions for scheme improvements have emerged. These include scrapping patient payments altogether and paying for care through donations. At a recent seminar, Ammar suggested the scheme needed more health professionals and funding. "The ministry should focus on benefits for people - not its own," Ammar said. He suggested state hospitals be transferred to local administrative bodies or become independent.
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