The Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) is warning private hospitals that a new law requires them to provide emergency care (ER) for 72 hours to patients brought in. They are not allowed to charge them for the costs for this.
The arrangement follows from the new law on 'Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients', which came into force on Saturday. Director-General Visit says that the first 72 hours after an incident, such as a traffic accident, is of great importance for the chance of survival or recovery of victims.
Some private hospitals only want to provide emergency care if patients can prove they are insured, or if they have sufficient financial resources. Refusal can be punished under the new law with a maximum of two years in prison and/or a fine of 40.000 baht per violation.
The free treatment is valid for 72 hours, after which patients must be transferred to the hospital where they are registered. You can also stay but then you have to pay.
Government spokesman Sansern previously stated that with the new law, the government wants to give everyone equal access to health care in order to narrow the gap between rich and poor Thais.
Thailand saw 12 million emergency room patients last year, according to figures from the National Institute of Emergency Medicine. This number is expected to increase, partly due to the new law.
Source: Bangkok Post
About this blogger
-
Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
Read the latest articles here
News from ThailandJanuary 23 2025Thailand celebrates historic step with opening up marriage to all
HealthJanuary 21 2025AI brings breakthrough in snakebite treatment
Food and drinkJanuary 21 2025Kaeng som or Gaeng som (sour and spicy fish curry soup)
SightsJanuary 21 2025A must for art lovers: Museum of Contemporary Art in Bangkok
Please note: in the English news broadcast on NBT (in the morning at 08:00) it was clearly stated that these are “citizens”… Consequently, this does not apply to expats…unfortunately.
” Everyone has equal access to care in the first 72 hours ”
Everyone seems like a foreigner to me. But am I seeing that correctly? Have my doubts.
Hopefully that arrangement also applies to tourists? Until now, all kinds of formalities often had to be fulfilled before people in hospitals started working with a (foreign) patient.
All patients? So also expats? and vacationers?
No!…tourists or non-immigrant residents are not “Citizens”…beware of this!
Is this law also intended for non-Thai people?
Does this new law only apply to Thais or also to expats?
What do they mean by emergency care? Injury from a traffic accident seems obvious to me. But an acute heart attack or pneumonia normally also falls under the emergency department. Wonder if Bangkok Hospital will comply with this law. My experience was that they only wanted to proceed with admission and treatment after consultation and approval of my insurance. And in my case it took an irresponsibly long time. It is all much too vague and therefore a source of conflict.
I've mentioned this before but see many questionable questions here; again: the urgent concern in the news concerns “Citizens”…and that does not include the farangs…so: Watch out!
Pensionados, students and expats are also residents in my opinion. Obviously not tourists. I think it would be a good thing if there was more clarity on this.
The intention is that hospitals will form teams to determine whether someone is eligible for emergency care. So the only question is what will become of it. That may be the case, no money or insurance, then not urgently. I think this is another half-baked measure, the implementation of which has not been properly thought through.
I expect that urgent non-chargeable help…(!) will be settled by Bangkok Hospital and “comparable” in their general prices….so just charge a little more to their normal customers…..or “the strongest shoulders carry the burdens of the inferior ” principle …….Accounting solved ..!
All hospitals are required to provide emergency first aid. I know of a case where a farang was sent to a state hospital and died on the way. This hospital had to pay a high compensation claim to the relatives.