The Budget Bureau warned yesterday officials had failed to provide it with a budgetary plan.

As a consequence, hospitals under the scheme, which covers more than 47 million people, could be affected if the funds cannot be approved in time, bureau adviser Orawan Chayanggura said.

The new budgetary allocation was due in January but the National Health Security Office (NHSO) had yet to submit its plan for the bureau's approval, she said.

"It needs to be quick, otherwise everything could get stuck by the delay in getting the budget," said Orawan, who is also a member of the NHSO board.

Unlike other state agencies, NHSO did not have a tentative budgetary plan drawn up over the past few months and so it was urgent that it draft a plan and submit it for approval, she said.

"Without either a tentative or actual budgetary plan from NHSO, the Budget Bureau has no idea how to allocate funds for the healthcare scheme," she said.

Sirichai Chaichanawong, another NHSO board member, said over the past few months hospitals under the scheme which were not affiliates of the Public Health Ministry had not received funding.

Those hospitals, mainly private hospitals, had lodged complaints, particularly after state hospitals received their money, Sirichai said.

Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla, who chaired the NHSO's board meeting yesterday, agreed the universal healthcare scheme could be affected if there was a delay in the second half budget allocation.

The board yesterday decided to shortcut the problem by authorising the NHSO to decide on the budgetary plan on its own without the board's approval, although it was not sure if the decision was legal or not.

NHSO head Dr Sa-nguan Nittayarumphong called on the bureau to consult with its legal experts on whether the board's decision. He said the new budgetary plan should come in time, however.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation