New PHM scheme allows hospital choice for free medical seekers

"Thai people carrying an identification card will have the right to select any hospital to receive medical treatment," said the new health minister, "This is the goal we are aiming for."

  There are three health care schemes in Thailand providing free medication - the universal health care scheme of the National Health Security Office; the social security scheme run by the Social Security Office; and the civil servants medical benefit scheme run by the civil servants service agency.

Although there are three health care schemes, people need to register with only one hospital to receive medication in their local area. They will receive a health care insurance card from the registered health care scheme agency, providing free medical treatment at the hospital with which they are registered.

In the past, people have complained of not wanting to go to their registered hospital because they did not like the service and treatment offered. If they had chosen another hospital with which they were not registered, they had to pay the medical expenses. The system was denying people access to free treatment of good quality.

Wittaya said under the new plan, people can access free treatment from any hospital they felt provided good quality medical treatment. By just producing a citizen identification card to hospital staff they can ask for medical service.

" People should not be forced to receive medical treatment from a hospital providing poor service," he said.

Wittaya said information technology infrastructure will be set up to help medical workers manage a patient database under this program.