Health

Thailand’s ‘Failing’ Public Healthcare Needs a Lifeline

Published

8 years ago

May 15, 2017

Bchcomber

On a busy day, patients and family could have spend hours waiting for the service in hospitals in Thailand. (Photo: Kittiphum Sringammuang)

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BANGKOK – Large crowds and long queues are common in almost every Thai public hospital. Rural hospitals in particular are suffering from a severe shortage of doctors and most are short on funds.

According to the Thai Medical Council, there are just over 50,000 doctors in the country – with almost half of them clustered in Bangkok. The unequal distribution of medical practitioners means hospitals in rural areas are overcrowded with only a handful of doctors.

SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM

Some observers say the shortage of doctors comes from a more systematic failing of the Thai healthcare system.

“Speaking from my personal experience – the reason why the public healthcare system in Thailand is failing is the attitude of most administrators and management,” said Dr Witawat Siripracha, a former doctor and director of Lanta Hospital in southern Krabi province.

“I was working as a director of a hospital and had to attend many meetings,” he said. “Senior administrators often overlook young doctors. Some even said we shouldn’t care much about the young doctors because they will be gone after three years of service.

“Instead of nurturing young doctors to work more closely with the community as a family doctor, we drive them away to the private sector.”

Like Dr Witawat, many young doctors and other medical staff are overworked, suffering poor health. Reports show some have even died in road accidents because of extreme fatigue from long working hours.

According to the standard ratio of one doctor per population, one doctor should be responsible for about 1,500 people. The lack of doctors in many rural areas has driven the number to as high as 7,000.

“Back then, I was one of the six interns and had to work double shifts for 26 days straight,” said Dr Witawat. “The older doctors rarely showed up because they had their private clinic to run, so the young doctors had to run the show.”

The government is trying to produce more doctors each year but many are concerned that this approach of quantity over quality may create an even bigger problem in the future.

To meet the challenge of shortage, the government launched the Primary Care Cluster scheme in late 2016, commonly known as the “family doctor programme”.

A FAMILY DOCTOR TEAM

The programme is still in its infancy and has not been publicised much.

It basically involves a family doctor team which consists of a general practitioner, four nurses, four medical academic experts, a pharmacist, a dentist, a doctor who studied Thai traditional medicine and staff from the Ministry of Public Health.

The team is responsible for a specific number of patients in a certain area and will work closely with the community by providing an early diagnosis or provide house calls if needed.

“The family doctor will act as a one-stop service for the patient,” explained Dr Boonchai Theerakarn, a senior official from the Thai Ministry of Public. “They will provide an early diagnosis and follow-up.

“They will also help patients coordinate with hospitals if the illness needs further treatment by a specialist.”

The family doctor programme will mainly involve doctors and medical personnel from state hospitals. The government is also hoping to receive cooperation and support from doctors in private hospitals, but experts say this could be problematic.

PUBLIC VS PRIVATE HOSPITALS

Thai public hospitals are already struggling with doctors leaving to join the private sector for better-paying jobs. Higher salary, better benefits, shorter working hours and less strain by the bureaucratic system are more than enough to persuade new generation doctors to work either in a private hospital or clinic.

Fah, a doctor who works in one of the largest public hospitals in Bangkok, said she is going to move to a private hospital once she has paid all her tuition back.

“Sometimes, I work 50 or 60 hours a week. I rarely have a break on weekends to spend time with my family,” she said. “I don’t always receive my salary on time. I notified my supervisor about the issue, but he said that he’s not in charge of the policy.”

Freshly graduated doctors are required to work in a public hospital for at least three years as an intern in order to pay back their tuition fees.

Many private hospitals in Thailand are willing to pay at least US$5,800 a month, compared to a monthly salary of US$1,800 at public hospitals.

And because of the high patient to staff ratio, doctors at public hospital have little time to diagnose illnesses properly or to have a deep and meaningful interaction with patients.

Dr Boonchai added that social attitudes towards doctors also put a strain on the government’s health budget.

“Because many people think that general practitioners are young and inexperienced, patients prefer to see the specialist right away,” Dr Boonchai said. “Instead of allocating the right medical personnel to the right job, many public hospitals end up with a shortage of specialist doctors and, not to mention, it is more expensive to hire specialists.”

The government is hoping that the Familiy Doctor Programme will reduce the numbers of patients in hospitals thus decreasing the workloads for their medical staff.

If the family doctor programme serves its purpose, it could help people like Nuchaya – a 47-year-old woman from Ang Thong province. She makes regular trips to Bangkok with her father to visit a nephrologist.

Nuchaya’s father suffers from a chronic kidney disease. It was late before her father discovered the illness and by the time he saw a doctor, it had reached a state where he required dialysis at least three times a week.

“He thought it was just regular fatigue,” said Nuchaya. “Maybe he didn’t have enough rest. He went to a local pharmacy and bought some medicine and took supplements, but his condition did not improve.”

HEALTHCARE A POLITICAL ISSUE

State subsidised healthcare has been an important political issue for various Thai governments for decades, and the military government hopes that the new family doctor scheme will go a long way in addressing the public’s demand for such services.

The military government has been hinting that it might end universal healthcare, which has been around for more than a decade, because of the financial burden on the state.

But veterans like Dr Witawat said the overemphasis on public sector investment, like the family doctor initiative, might not be the right answer to improve people’s access to healthcare.

He thinks the government should look at utilising the potential of the private sector in areas with poor distribution of doctors and help out with people’s medical bills instead.

“Doctors don’t have to stay in the public sector,” he said. “If you really want to help patients, go join the private sector. Not only will they take care of you better, they have the resources and capability to help the patient.”

By Kittiphum Sringammuang

Channel News Asia

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

Published

2 months ago

October 7, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

Published

2 months ago

October 6, 2024

VORNews

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

Published

2 months ago

October 5, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP