Govt urged to provide affordable healthcare services

The government should open a new round of work permit registration for migrant workers in Thailand to help them access affordable health care services, a seminar was told yesterday.

Excluding migrants living and working here from the health security system "would impact on the public health of the country and risk the outbreak of infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis," said Promboon Panitchpakdi, coordinator of Prevention of HIV/AIDS Among Migrant Workers in Thailand.

He estimated over 2 million migrant workers are living in Thailand. Of this number only 501,570 are registered with the government to work and stay here legally and have access to health care services.

Promboon was speaking at the two day conference entitled "Migrant workers changes for a better future," held by the Rak Thai Foundation and seven other non-government organisations.

It is examining policies on health promotion and HIV prevention among migrant workers, including those of labour, migrant worker administration and health. The seminar is intended to raise alternative ideas that will result in more supportive policies for migrants.

Promboon explained that only registered migrant workers are eligible for the government's complete health care services. They must pay Bt1,300 for health insurance and Bt600 for medical check up when they renew their work permit registration.

That leaves 1.5 million migrant workers still not registered and not eligible for health care assistance.

Promboon said if the government opened a new round of migrant registration, it would get over Bt1 billion from the workers. The Department of Employment estimates the business sector is demanding 800,000 migrant workers for industry, all of whom would have to pay for health insurance and annual medical check ups.

This money could be used for disease prevention and medication for the workers, he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said earlier the government should not open free and unlimited registration for migrant workers. It would create never ending problems for a government now considering how to limit work areas and migrant worker numbers.

Promboon said closing work permit registration would not reduce migrant workers and families coming to Thailand. There are many factors forcing people from Laos, Cambodia, and Burma - economic crisis, poverty, natural disaster and human rights violations, especially in Burma.

Dr Charnwit Tharathep of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said unregistered migrant workers living in the country could buy health care service packages from hospitals. All they needed was to pay Bt 1300 each and they would be given an annual check up, health insurance and access to hospital.

Minister of Labour Paithoon Kraithong said the ministry is considering opening registration for 700,000 migrant worker positions. It expected about 400,000 workers would sign up.

He added the ministry would study the Thai labour situation  before opening up the new positions.

However, he said the government will propose to the Asean Summit in Thailand next month that the rights of migrant worker should be protected. Those smuggled into country, however, must be repatriated.