In a major step towards enhancing healthcare accessibility in Thailand, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) is mulling over the idea of expanding the benefits of the universally popular 30-baht health care package, also known as “gold card” scheme. Considering the rising prevalence of cancer globally, the additions being discussed notably include cancer care treatments and free health evaluations for individuals who aren’t cardholders.
NHSO Secretary-General Jadet Thammathat-Aree shared this potentially groundbreaking news concerning the planned expansion in the scheme towards integrating cancer care treatments and regular check-ups. The NHSO is moving forward with its commitment to offer affordable medical support to patients by also exploring the possibility of adding innovative drugs to its National List of Essential Medicines. Thammathat-Aree gave a glimpse into these efforts, revealing that the NHSO is at the negotiation table with pharmaceutical companies to make targeted therapy accessible, a treatment critically important for several cancer patients, especially those grappling with breast cancer.
He said, “As we plan to expand our ‘gold card’ scheme, our core focus is on various cancers. But the associated policies need to be discussed in-depth. Our ultimate goal is to drive individuals towards regular health check-ups even before falling ill because early detection can dramatically augment the recovery chances.”
Thammathat-Aree also confirmed possibilities of including one more medication that has gained substantial demand in recent times. A fervent appeal is being made to introduce cytisine—a widely preferred medication to quit smoking—into the National List of Essential Medicines.
The Secretary-General then emphasized the vital role of health screenings in disease prevention, which encompasses newborn screenings and cancer tests for 24 rare ailments. Nevertheless, he also pointed out that their preventive testing journey hasn’t reached the desired level yet. For instance, the number of women undergoing annual cervical cancer screenings is limited to only 1.6 million. To tackle this, Thammathat-Aree suggested allowing health tests to be conducted at home, a move that could ostensibly increase screening rates to five million women annually.
Moreover, the NHSO is joining hands with the Social Security Office to reach out to non-member categories like factory workers, who generally tend to overlook early cancer screening. The Secretary-General hinted at an annual surplus of funds that the office receives, which could be utilized towards health promotion and prevention of diseases for vulnerable communities that aren’t covered under the ‘gold card’ scheme.
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