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Permanent secretary for Public Health Dr Prat Boonyawongwirote also revealed the fund's official sign while presiding over a worshipping rite held at the monument of HRH Prince Mahidol of Songkla and HRH the Princess Sri Nagarindra the Princess Mother, at the ministry headquarters in Nonthaburi Tuesday morning.

Prat said the fund was established to mark the 12th anniversary of the institute being allowed to carry the HRH Prince's name on December 25, 1995 and to honour the prince's great merits in developing Thai medicine, nursing and public health.

The Bt6 million fund will help support the institute's activities, teacher development, assist research and excellent students' scholarships, Prat said.

The fund's board, chaired by the Public Health Minister, would start by providing scholarships to teachers and students from the academic year 2008 on, he added.

The institute's director Dr Suwat Siasiriwattana said the institute, which has 2,000 personnel and 38 colleges nation-wide under its supervision, was the main organisation producing health workers in Thailand.

Each year the institute produced nearly 7,000 nurses, public health officials and medical science staffers.

The Nation