Public Health Ministry to speed up registration of health volunteers

"I expect health volunteers across the country to receive this money on March 20, in order to celebrate National Health Volunteer Day," Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday.

Out of this budget, Bt498 million will be spent each month from March to September to provide each volunteer a Bt600 allowance for personal expenses, including travel costs.

The volunteers have dedicated themselves to providing primary care and looking after people in their areas without receiving any stipend since the project was launched 30 years ago.

They have had to use their own money to work with the ministry, Witthaya said.

In a bid to accelerate the process, Witthaya has asked the Health Service Support Department to survey and select eligible health volunteers to register with the ministry, so they can receive the money from the ministry.

The department should also develop the capacity of health volunteers, instruct primaryhealth units to keep them informed about the government's policies and listen to their demands so the ministry can draft regulations to fulfil their needs.

"I'll propose this plan to the Cabinet as soon as possible," he said.

Department directorgeneral Dr Somyos Deerasmee said the volunteers would work with primarycare units to provide services to the public. Each will be responsible for 1015 households.

Boonthong Boonprasert, 52, chairman of the Health Volunteers Club in the Northeast, said he was worried the ministry could not meet the twomonth time frame.

He said only 35 per cent of volunteers across the country had been registered with the ministry so far, and the rest are still waiting to register officially as a member of the ministry so they can receive the monthly subsidy.

"I don't understand why they have to speed up the process to be finished within two months. They should take a year to register health volunteers around the country," he said.