PM does healthcare U-turn : as part of speech at UN General Assembly!!

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has praised the universal
 healthcare scheme as a key factor in reducing inequality in
 the country at a United Nations meeting despite previously
 slamming the scheme as"costly populist" policy.

Gen Prayut was addressing a meeting, "The Path Towards

 Universal Health Coverage: Promotion of Equitable Global

Health and Human Security in the Post-2015 Development

Agenda", held as part of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He told the assembly investment in health was equivalent to

investment for the betterment of the entire nation because

public health was a key mechanism for sustainable development,

 and praised the notion of universal coverage.

 EDITORIAL: Action needed back home

 He said the government continued to assign priority to health

 services. The universal healthcare scheme gave the public

taxpayer-funded access to healthcare services to prevent

 them from going bankrupt as a result of costly services,

Gen Prayut said.

"Thailand achieved universal health coverage in 2002,

resulting in inequalities in access to healthcare services

 between people living in large cities and those in rural areas

decreasing significantly," he said.

One indicator that health was improving  was the neonatal

 mortality rate, he said.

The rate had dropped significantly from 72 per 1,000 births

in 1970 to only 11 per 1,000 births in 2014, he said.

The universal healthcare scheme was introduced by the

Thaksin Shinawatra administration in 2002.

 Gen Prayut in July branded the universal healthcare scheme,

which benefits about 47 million people, a "costly populist" policy.

The scheme will "bankrupt a lot of hospitals in the next few years",

he said. He questioned if Thailand was ready for the policy even

 though it benefits many people.

 

News,Politics,Bangkok Post, 30 September 2015.

 

Although the universal healthcare scheme is  a

“costly populist” policy . It is necessary for the poor and

the some of the middle class in the society so I agree that

 this policy should continuous provide for improving health

 care of Thai people.

 

Sincerely Yours.