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Published on November 29, 2007

 The next government must improve national health care and strengthen health-security and social-welfare funding, a Medical Council seminar heard yesterday.

The council invited major political parties to lay out their health policies ahead of the election. Spokespeople from the Democrat, Chart Thai, People Power and Puea Pandin parties attended.

About 200 health workers, including doctors and nurses and medical students, turned up to listen.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told the seminar it would improve care provided under the Social Security Fund. The fund will be made transparent.

Additionally, the party would extend health care to cover workers' families to reduce the financial burden on fund members.

The Democrats would invite private medical-care providers to partner with the National Health Security Office to provide care to more people across the country.

He said compulsory licensing imposed on essential drugs was an important issue. He suggested buying generic medicines under the scheme from Asean member countries only.

The party would support local administration organisations and health-care volunteers to tackle localised public-health issues. Volunteer health workers should receive a Bt600 monthly stipend.

A Democrat government would establish a compensation fund for victims of medical misadventure. This would end messy civil actions for malpractice, he explained.

Chart Thai deputy leader Dr Vinai Viriyakijja told delegates improving health-volunteer skills to enable better localised care was a party priority. He believed prevention measures at the local level were of paramount importance.

Chart Thai would encourage young people to enter the health-care field and to return to practise in their hometowns upon graduation.

People Power's Dr Surapong Suebwonglee explained he would improve national health security, or universal health care, coverage, a policy initiated by the former Thai Rak Thai government.

A People Power government would contribute to health-fund payments, improve treatment quality, spend more on medical infrastructure and develop a doctor-nurse-patient referral system.

State medical workers would get a pay rise, he added.

Like the Democrats, a People Power government would introduce a compensation fund for victims of medical misadventure, he said.

Puea Pandin deputy leader Dr Pruetchai Damrongrat said it would concentrate on preventing heart diseases and cancers that were a burden on the health system and society.

It, too, would encourage medical graduates to return to their hometowns to practise.

Nurses would receive more complex medical training to allow them to provide care in rural areas with few doctors.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

 The Nation