Half a million "ethnic minority people, long-term migrants and those born on Thai soil but who are awaiting verification of their citizenship" may be covered. That will include some people from Burma / Myanmar.
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Cabinet OKs new health package
Bangkok Post
24/03/2010 at 12:00 AM
The cabinet has approved funding of 472 million baht to provide stateless people with health care and reduce the heavy financial burden on border hospitals.
The money will be used from next month on health care for 457,409 ethnic minority people, long-term migrants and those born on Thai soil but who are awaiting verification of their citizenship, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said yesterday.
The budget had been pushed by the National Health Security Office (NHSO) for months as 172 state hospitals were continuing to provide costly treatment for stateless people living in 15 provinces along the border with Burma for humanitarian reasons.
The money would be given to the permanent secretary for public health's office to distribute as the NHSO is only obliged to take care of Thai people's health.
About 468 million baht was spent last year on health care for stateless people. The universal healthcare budget for Thais had to be slashed as a result of the soaring cost of treating infectious diseases among people along the border, Mr Jurin said.
Ten doctors representing border hospitals met with Mr Jurin last month to urge the government to take swift action to solve the long-standing problem.
The ministry approved 200 million baht in emergency funding to ease the financial burden on border hospitals as a result of the meeting.
The NHSO, which oversees the universal healthcare scheme for 48 million Thais, had asked for cabinet approval for the budget several times. But the plan was rejected mainly because of national security concerns.
"The funds will not only reduce the financial problems at hundreds of border hospitals but also curb health problems such as diarrhoea, malaria, tuberculosis, dengue and HIV/Aids," Mr Jurin said.
Stateless people often sought hospital treatment for diseases which could be passed on to Thai people so there needed to be proper disease control measures, he said.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/34913/cabinet-oks-new-health-package
