Manage hospitals like public organisations, urges NHO

This new way of management has already proved a success in Samut Sakhon's Banphaeo Hospital.

The appeal came after medical workers - including the director of Patong Hospital in Phuket province -resigned due to an unreasonably large number of patients. The hospital was already suffering from the lack of staff and other limitations.

Dr Amphon Jindawattana, the NHO director, said many hospitals under the Public Health Ministry wanted to operate as a public organisation after Banphaeo Hospital succeeded in making its management more flexible and effective.

However, highlevel ministry officials are still dragging hospitals down by making them operate under the old system, which is not that effective.

"The Public Health Ministry does not have a clear policy on the operation of hospitals as public organisations. This may be due to the ministerial changes over the past few months and the new ministers are not brave enough to make immediate decisions on this issue, " he said.

If the ministry does not resolve this problem, medical workers and doctors in places like Patong can opt for the more lucrative alternative like working in private hospitals or clinics.

In order to stop this exodus, Amphon has suggested that the Public Health Ministry draw a clear framework for operating hospitals as public organisations.

"Personally I think this could be done if toplevel ministry officials have a clear policy for this plan by issuing a Cabinetapproved law or regulation," he said.