Dr Saengchai of Phrae wins outstanding rural doctor award

Siriraj Hospital has conferred the award on yearly basis since 1973 to honour and to give moral support to a selected rural doctor whose outstanding work sets a good example for public health development in Thailand's rural areas.

The award criteria requires nominees to serve in a rural area for at least five years with outstanding distinction - It is not necessary for them to be Siriraj alumni, said the faculty's dean, Thirawat Kullanant. This year there were 14 nominees selected after the award committee's visits and interviews with the nominees' coworkers and patients, he said.

Saengchai won the award for his willingness to learn new things, his devotion, divulgence of medical knowledge to the community, and for gaining the agency's and residents' respect and faith, said Thirawat.

Saengchai said that he was proud of the honour because throughout his nearly 20 years at Sungmen Hospital he and the staff had aimed for three things: quality medical treatment, health and happiness in the workplace, and the health of the public.

He said the award also gave credit to the hospital staff and hoped it would encourage rural doctors to work for communities and newly graduated doctors to be interested in developing medical care for rural patients.

Saengchai has served at Sungmen Hospital since 1992. The hospital extended from only 10 beds to 30 beds in 1994. He has improved the hospital's image, medical services and volunteers' health promotion activities, while also arranging Emergency Medical Service teams (EMS) for disaster relief, including during the 2006 flooding in Sung Men district.

The 42yearold doctor also arranged for professional nurses to train staff at 16 community health stations, and helped found the region's health insurance system last year.

Saengchai graduated from the 93rd class of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital.

His Chinese family made clothes and despite their poverty his parents gave priority to education, sending all their five children, including Saengchai, to university.