Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has acknowledged that the National Health Security Office (NHSO) is deeply in debt to hospitals across the country under the Universal Healthcare Scheme, widely known as the “Gold Card” programme.
He said the government is considering using the central budget to pay off the arrears if the proposal meets the budgetary criteria.
Responding to reports that Dr Rianthong Nanna, director of Mongkutwattana Hospital in Bangkok, has announced the suspension of outpatient services for Gold Card patients due to unpaid medical bills exceeding 110 million baht, Mr Anutin said the issue was widespread.
“The NHSO isn’t just indebted to one or two hospitals — it owes nearly every hospital in the country. They must speed up their financial management,” the prime minister said.
He added that he is currently reviewing the possibility of requesting central funds to clear the debts, as the Budget Bureau is now examining the matter.
“If the situation is considered urgent and meets the required criteria, I will move quickly to resolve it,” he said.
Dr Rianthong, meanwhile, has accused the NHSO of being insincere in addressing the issue, saying Mongkutwattana Hospital had repeatedly demanded payment for the unpaid medical bills but had received no clear response.
He said the financial strain had forced the hospital to borrow money from banks to cover staff salaries.
“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have agreed to treat Gold Card patients in the first place,” he said, adding that he felt the NHSO was “using patients as hostages”.
The dispute began in 2020, when the hospital joined the universal healthcare system after many private clinics were delisted by the NHSO. Initial outstanding payments of 13 million baht from that period are still under administrative court review.
The NHSO deputy secretary-general, Dr Attaporn Limpanyalert, denied the Mongkutwattana Hospital’s 110-million-baht debt figure, saying the actual verified amount owed is about 37 million baht, pending normal budget procedures and data verification.
He said the NHSO will arrange alternative facilities to ensure continued care for the hospital’s 47,000 registered patients.
The Mongkutwattana case has prompted broader concern among healthcare providers and lawmakers.
Sen Veerapun Suvannamai suggested that the NHSO use 8 billion baht from the central fund — recently approved for allocation — to clear hospital debts.
He warned that the mounting debts could lead to severe consequences, including drug suppliers refusing to release medicine to hospitals, delayed salary payments to healthcare staff and shortages of surgical equipment.