A proposed change to the manner in which Thailand pays its doctors is drawing heated acrimony from rural medical practitioners, who say that the change will make their professions untenable.
This Tuesday, representatives of the Rural Doctor Society, a consortium of medical workers from throughout rural Thailand, staged a protest at Government House, calling on the government to halt consideration of the Pay-for-Performance (P4P) plan.
Under the P4P scheme, doctors would be paid according to how many patients they service, rather than paid a flat fee. Rural doctors are worried that this change will undercut their ability to make a living, forcing many rural doctors to pull up stakes and seek work in the city.
The Nation reports that the Yingluck government selected Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong for the express purpose of enacting these national healthcare reforsm. Pradit’s mandate includes the reduction of ballooning healthcare costs and the aggregation of Thailand’s various healthcare schemes under a single, administrative roof.
Despite strong opposition from rural doctors, Pradit has vowed to continue with his initiatives.
