Democrats add more campaign pledges, Move Forward focuses on medicine
The coalition’s Democrat Party released more election campaign pledges on Saturday, enticing voters with more free public services as well as increased funding for the elderly, village farming volunteers and small businesses.
Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit and other senior party figures announced the eight additional policies the party will implement if it returns to power after the national election at a press conference at party headquarters.
They include free internet access at 1 million locations throughout the country, including “every village and every classroom”, expanding free education to college, and free health checkups and treatment. Every society for the elderly will receive 30,000 baht a month, village farming volunteers will get 1,000 baht a month in pay and a fund of 300 billion baht will be created for small businesses, party officials said.
On January 13, the Democrats announced eight campaign policies for the election tentatively scheduled for May 7.
They include price guarantees for some crops, payment of 30,000 baht for every farming family, free milk for school children every day, 100,000 baht in support for every fishermen’s group, issuing new land deeds for 1 million plots across the country within four years, ensuring land rights for people currently encroaching on state land, and 2 million baht in funding for every “village/community bank”.
Meanwhile, the opposition Move Forward Party on Saturday announced policies to “prevent the collapse of the Thai public health system” due to the excessive workload of medical staff.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat and deputy party leader Sirikanya Tansakun visited Khaopanom Hospital in southern Krabi province where they discussed work-related issues with hospital staff.
Nurses at the hospital are working 16-hour shifts as the hospital has 50% more patients than it has the capacity to treat.
Pita said that overwork is typical in the Thai public health system, particularly at provincial hospitals. As a result, medical staff do not get enough rest, which eventually will damage their health and make them less efficient at work, he said.
“If we allow this to continue, our country’s public health system will collapse. Both patients and service providers will be in crisis,” the Move Forward leader said.
The party will implement what it calls its “two reductions and two increases” policy to solve the problem. It calls for reducing the imbalance in the number of doctors in Bangkok and the provinces, and reducing the number of hours medical staff have to work.
The policy calls for increasing treatment channels to reduce the overcrowding at hospitals and waiting time for services. It also calls for increasing hospital efficiency for faster service.
