The Ministry of Public Health has announced measures to improve the allocation of medical graduates in the 2026 fiscal year, aiming to address critical shortages in underserved provinces.
Dr Somruk Jungsaman, permanent secretary of the Ministry, presented the plan during a Medical Council meeting on Saturday, saying only 72% of the targeted medical workforce is currently active. Ten provinces, including Bueng Kan, Sa Kaeo, and Mae Hong Son, have less than 60% of their medical positions filled, with Bueng Kan facing the most severe shortage.
The doctor-to-population ratio remains critically low in provinces such as Samut Prakan, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nakhon Phanom, Nonthaburi, and Chaiyaphum.
Meanwhile, the number of doctors resigning from public service has increased — from 789 in 2020 to 1,201 in 2024 — further straining the healthcare system.
Dr Somruk said that imbalances in the 2025 doctor allocation process, which prioritised health regions 8 and 10, have caused some other health regions, particularly regions 4, 5, and 6, to face a shortage of new residents, forcing adjustments and special recruitment rounds.
The ministry proposes prioritising allocations to provinces with the greatest need, revising scholarship regulations to allow cross-provincial placements, and adopting a flexible “One Province, One Region, One Hospital” model to enable general and specialist doctors to move across districts or provinces.
The plan also includes increasing compensation for doctors in high-workload areas, offering incentives for specialisation in underserved regions, and boosting regional budgets to support these efforts.
In the 2026 fiscal year, 2,795 medical graduates are expected to enter the workforce, with 1,980 positions allocated to the ministry.