Sudarat lauds Phuket hospital as role model for tackling doctor shortage

Sudarat led a delegation of core members of her party to the Phuket PAO Hospital on its 12th anniversary. The delegation was received by Akkarawat Sirithanthanakorn, permanent secretary of the Phuket PAO.

Sudarat, a former public health minister, reportedly aims to get the Public Health Ministry portfolio under the Move Forward Party-led coalition government, of which Thai Sang Thai is a part.

During the visit, Sudarat praised the CEO of Phuket PAO, Rewat Areerob, officials and medical personnel of the PAO for devoting themselves to providing medical services to Phuket residents.

The 129-bed hospital is located in Tambon Talad Yai in Muang district.

Sudarat said the PAO hospital is now treating some 600 patients a day and it takes away a lot of the burden from public hospitals of the Public Health Ministry.

Recently, doctors of hospitals run by the Public Health Ministry complained of being overloaded with cases, saying many of their peers have quit to work in private hospitals with fewer cases and higher pays.

Sudarat said the Phuket PAO Hospital has a good management that cooperates with the local administration and local private agencies.

She added that the Phuket PAO hospital has initiated measures to deploy teams of doctors to visit communities in the morning and teams of nurses to take care of bed-ridden patients after office hours.

Sudarat expressed support for the policy to transfer the management of tambon-level hospitals to be local administrations, saying it would improve the medical services for local people.

She said the Public Health Ministry should step up awareness campaigns to explain to personnel of tambon hospitals that the transfer would benefit the local people.

She said the Phuket PAO Hospital focuses on preventative medicine by deploying medical teams to prevent local people from developing serious illnesses from common morbidities, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol level, and this measure would tackle the shortage of medical personnel and improve sustainability of public health services.

Dr Suwadee Phanpanit, who Sudarat reportedly plans to elevate to the post of public health minister in the new government, said the Phuket PAO hospital has good management and is trusted by local firms to care for their employees under several health systems for 12 years.