7 Groundbreaking Public Health Policies by 2025: A Tax Break for Healthcare Heroes

On September 26, 2024, at the Institute of Infectious Diseases in Bamrasnaradura, Nonthaburi Province, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Public Health. He delivered the Ministry of Public Health Policy for Fiscal Year 2025, which, in terms of the major laws that have been implemented since Fiscal Year 2024, will carry forward both the Draft Law on the Regulation of Public Personnel of the Ministry of Public Health BE Public Health Volunteers Law, Draft Law on Village Health Volunteers BE (Village Health Volunteers Bill) and Draft Law on Mental Health.

As for the guiding policy in fiscal year 2025, it will aim to create health security for people at all levels. Actions will be taken to see concrete results in 7 major issues as follows: 1. Raise the 30 baht per treatment level everywhere. Increase access to health services Emphasis is placed on connecting health information to service units at all levels across the country. In the area of ​​health information cybersecurity, develop service systems with AI-based medical telemedicine and the use of medical technology, expand the network of digital primary care services. and develop public hospitals Provide citizens with convenient, safe, modern and efficient services.

Increase access to mental health services

2.Increase access to mental health services and drug treatment Developing and strengthening the system of “Psychotherapist” counseling services to match, raising the level of “Mini Thanyarak” and “Lomrak Community Team” to support a system of care, treatment and rehabilitation with individual plans. and enable the community to participate in the care of patients after treatment and establish the Department of Mental Health and Drug Treatment Improve the structure at the zonal level

3. Thai people are far from diseases and health risks. Promoting health in all dimensions to reduce major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) before they enter the health care system. Reduce national health care costs, implement the concept of lifestyle medicine and holistic health, and improve laws and measures to facilitate control. Take care of health promotion such as the NCD Act and prevention of new smokers/e-cigarettes.

Support the concept of good health Further benefits in the continuation of the global cancer policy Expand the coverage of cervical cancer (HPV) vaccination to conduct cancer prevention screening. and promote the concept of one health 4. Strengthen the public health network, especially village health volunteers, by developing supporting laws such as the Village Health Volunteer Act, increasing the potential of village health volunteers to promote proactive health work in the community. and promote the right to health of all groups of people

Goal: Reduce taxes for people with good health care

“Driving the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) This is because data shows that 400,000 people die from this disease every year and there are medicine costs of about 130 billion baht and other indirect costs of another 1.5 trillion baht. In total, there are estimated to be 1.6 trillion baht in disease-related costs,” Somsak said.

If it reduces disease and death of people There must be both a positive and negative way. For example, what motivation will people have who practice good behavior? He left it to the committee that will be officially established on September 30, 2024 to evaluate what it will provide.

The reporter asked if there would be measures to reduce non-communicable diseases so that people take care of their health. Somsak said that there could be rewards or tax reduction measures. Because the Praboromarajchanok Institute calculated that if out of 50,000 people there are about 800 people with non-communicable diseases, the costs will be reduced by about 153 million baht. Out of 500,000 people, there will be a reduction of 1.53 billion baht.

Increasing the potential of the health economy

5. Organize a health service system for vulnerable groups and special areas. Renovate the nursing home and nursing home, increase the potential of the health service system and service units of the border area. and promote the production and employment of community health workers to increase health care for vulnerable groups at the local level.

6. Increase the potential of health economy in the medical and wellness hub by promoting health tourism and safety in all dimensions, improving Thai wisdom. Promote traditional Thai medicine and Thai herbal medicines in the service system, increasing business growth opportunities through improving regulations. Reduce approval/authorization steps and promote more research Technology transfer of health innovation medical biotechnology
Build 345 housing units nationwide.

and 7. Manage public health resources. increasing the production of doctors and public health personnel create stability Develop quality of life and morale and push for public health law, develop laws/systems to support hospital management and procurement, manage budgets and funds efficiently and promote participation in investment in public health development with other sectors, continuing the policy of 50 districts, 50 hospitals, increased access to health services. and develop green hospitals Improved to be environmentally friendly

“By improving and building staff housing, if the money doesn’t come in, I would like to use it to maintain the hospital. or other parts such as loans or lottery money, initially in about 345 places across the country,” Somsak said.

Increase the value of herbal products by over 100 billion.

Mr Det-Is Khaothong, Deputy Minister of Public Health, said he has been assigned to oversee the Department of Traditional and Alternative Thai Medicine and the Department of Health, which play an important role in helping to strengthen the country’s health economy. He will develop the potential of services and products in traditional Thai medicine, Thai food, Thai herbs and medical treatment, including health tourism.

which will cover the upstream, i.e. raw materials, to the downstream, i.e. production and export. According to the National Herbal Action Plan No. 2, 2023-2027, the target has been set to promote related businesses and services. Create added value for Thai herbal products of over 104 billion baht by 2027.

In addition, I saw that Thai masseuse is very popular abroad. If Thai masseuses could be exported, it would bring a huge amount of money to the country. But if you consider the current number of Thai doctors, the number is still not enough to meet the demand for services among the country’s population. Therefore, he considered whether it would be possible to apply for a budget of 100 million baht to create a sufficient number of quality Thai masseuses to export abroad.