Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has pledged to maintain healthcare spending despite Thailand’s tightening fiscal constraints, adding healthcare is the one area the Budget Bureau would not dare to cut.
Mr Anutin on Wednesday presided over the opening ceremony of the 19th National Health Assembly under the theme “A Thriving and Empowered Society: Positive and Empathetic Public Policy for Health” at IMPACT Forum, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi.
Recalling his 2019-2023 tenure as public health minister, he said Thailand’s healthcare system has continued to develop over the past several years. He said the government’s top priority was to sustain the country’s health security while adjusting policies and strategies to prepare for a fully aged society.
With the country expected to become a fully aged society within six to seven years, the government must prioritise disease prevention, early diagnosis and health promotion to ensure timely and effective treatment, said Mr Anutin.
He said the universal healthcare scheme would continue receiving government support despite internal disagreements and delays in payments to hospitals. He urged the public not to worry, adding that public health remained the government’s highest priority.
Any central funds or savings from other areas would first be considered for extra allocations to the National Health Security Office (NHSO), enabling payments to the Pharmaceutical Organisation and hospitals. “Thailand remains committed to maintaining strict fiscal discipline. This does not mean we can spend recklessly. Strict fiscal discipline ensures that we have the budget needed to manage affairs across all areas,” he said.
He said the World Bank had called for stronger preventive healthcare, expand primary care, and provide continuous support for older people.