Thai healthcare woes

[tamada]

Thailand's current universal health care system is no longer viable or sustainable.

"It also noted an increasing number of senior citizens and a declining number of taxpayers in the country. ...The TDRI said recently that Thailand's healthcare expenditure will reach 2.2 trillion baht by 2032 if there is no plan to promote healthy lifestyles among its people."

Maybe a "sugar tax" could be the answer?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... f-collapse

[Doodoo]

Loads of options available to sustain this system for Thais, even ways to increase coverage

[tamada]

Doodoo for Health Minister

[AlexO]

Had the misfortune to go in-patient again at Udon General Hospital last week, was in the ward that I had to use sometimes 12 months ago when private rooms were not available. Difference, though open plan it now mixed male /female but still only one ablutions room with 2 WC cubicles and 2 shower cubicles for a ward of 30 beds and goodness knows how many others crammed into spaces . Mixture of ancient broken beds and some fairly new ones. Some ceiling fans kaput and not enough desktop fans for the numbers of patients. People lying on 'tables' with thin mattresses in the lift halls and back corridors. Floor swept and mopped but walls and ceilings obviously not cleaned in a very long time.
Operating rooms are up to 'quite' a good standard as are recovery rooms but the standard of post op patient care facilities is basically abysmal. Maybe time to cancel the new Jets and Submarines which will never be used in anger and spend the badly needed money on areas where it could actually help the people.

[tamada]

Sounds shocking and parallels my experience at Srinagarind in Khon Kaen about two years back when I renewed an offshore medical there. The crowds of people waiting to he seen by a doctor or nurse was horrendous. Pretty sure that plenty of them were simply family members tagging along though, a bit like the weekend shopping trawlers at Big C or the mob surrounding the check in desks at UTH to see off 1 passenger.

My more recent experience was at Udon General last year, waiting to get USG KUB scan. Patients getting wheeled in and out of the consultation room and no effort to draw the curtains as patients pants or sarongs, both male and female, were pulled down for the ultrasound scan. Findings, questions and answers were loudly bandied about across the room with no regard for privacy. The consultant decided the USG wouldn't be enough for his diagnosis and pushed me to get an MRI test that meant coming back the next day, queuing at two different departments for an 18,000 baht MRI that didn't include his consultation. My doctor in Kuala Lumpur only needed a USG so I demurred and took my happy ass over to Bangkok Hospital for the walk-in, one-stop 4000 baht USG including consultation.

[AlexO]

Sounds shocking and parallels my experience at Srinagarind in Khon Kaen about two years back when I renewed an offshore medical there. The crowds of people waiting to he seen by a doctor or nurse was horrendous. Pretty sure that plenty of them were simply family members tagging along though, a bit like the weekend shopping trawlers at Big C or the mob surrounding the check in desks at UTH to see off 1 passenger.

My more recent experience was at Udon General last year, waiting to get USG KUB scan. Patients getting wheeled in and out of the consultation room and no effort to draw the curtains as patients pants or sarongs, both male and female, were pulled down for the ultrasound scan. Findings, questions and answers were loudly bandied about across the room with no regard for privacy. The consultant decided the USG wouldn't be enough for his diagnosis and pushed me to get an MRI test that meant coming back the next day, queuing at two different departments for an 18,000 baht MRI that didn't include his consultation. My doctor in Kuala Lumpur only needed a USG so I demurred and took my happy ass over to Bangkok Hospital for the walk-in, one-stop 4000 baht USG including consultation.

Does seem to be the Thai way, same experience in both Udon General and Nong Han hospitals. Always seems to be a minimum of one escort at least with every actual patient, some times more. Obviously lots of old sick people who do need family assistance but gives false impressions of numbers of patients being seen.
I was in for what turned out to be a 10 minute procedure carried out without any form of General or local-anesthetic but spent 35 hours in the hospital, had chest x-ray, ECG, blood tests and had to fast for 12 hours which seemed absolutely over the top for a simple prostate biopsy. Crazy!

[Bubbler]

A sugar tax could definitely help in the long run. It might reduce the healthcare costs by curbing unhealthy eating habits, which is a big issue contributing to the rising expenses. If it pushes people towards healthier choices, it could ease the financial strain on the system.

[rick]

There is already a Thai sugar tax on sugar in drinks.

[tamada]

There is already a Thai sugar tax on sugar in drinks.

But the sugar that gets added to just about everything baked or cooked here isn't. The Thai sweet tooth is more than fizzy soda and fruit juice.

[jackspratt]

I will never forget the time I went with a mate visiting from Oz to a noodle shop in Ban Dung, and sitting opposite a couple of locals preparing to eat their bowls of Kwaey Teow soup.

One of the women picked up the four-glass condiment rack, and proceed to tip 4 heaped, Thai-style spoons of white sugar into her soup bowl, only stopping from putting another when she saw the looks of amazement on our faces.

She was kind enough to leave a bit of sugar in the bottom of the glass for us.