Rural Doctors for Thailand | A top-rated healthcare organization in Asia
Health care comes at a cost, but there are those trying to increase access and reduce prohibitive costs. Several countries have promoted the idea of providing health coverage as part of public health and social welfare. Among those who have succeeded in their goals is Thailand.
A group of doctors who have led efforts to bring health coverage to the masses and ensure equal access to health care in rural areas have been selected to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for this year.
Thailand’s journey to provide health care
According to the World Health Organization, universal health coverage (UHC) implies that “all people have access to the health services they need, wherever they are.” needs, without financial problems.” Achieving UHC is one of the targets for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Universal health coverage is still out of reach in many countries, especially for poor or rural populations. Thailand has made great progress in this area, with universal health coverage implemented in 2002. The country now has a system that provides medical care – free of charge, at a rate of growth – for all Thai citizens.
The sea change in Thai health care has come about as a result of years of struggle by dedicated Thai doctors. Their efforts have ensured adequate and affordable health care for all, especially in rural areas. as part of social justice.
Much of this was achieved through the voluntary work of Thai doctors. Some of them joined together to form the Rural Doctors Association, which unites the Rural Doctors Society (RDS) and the Rural Doctors Foundation (RDF). TheRDS is an informal organization, while RDF is an organized non-governmental organization formed by doctors working in public hospitals.
The journey began around the 1960s. At this time, the Thai public was seeing the pressure of medical professionals abroad, especially in the United States. To prevent this, the government introduced a policy that made medical education subsidized as compensation for mandatory services for medical professionals in rural areas. This alerted many doctors to the need for corrective measures to improve rural health care.
In the 1970s, a pro-democracy wave swept Thailand. Social economic justice, democracy and freedom were at the forefront of this movement. Among those who joined the movement were young, positive-minded doctors who wanted to address social and health care inequities.
Some doctors organized groups of doctors for student protesters. In 1974, students were sent to rural areas to investigate poverty and poor health care. The former president of RDS, Vichai Chokevivat, shared his experience: “When I was a rural doctor, I saw many people sick and almost in need of money. They had to sell their land or even their daughter in order to get enough money to pay for their treatment. It was such a painful and painful experience that we wished to provide free treatment to the sick.”
The student union was suppressed in 1978. Many medical students withdrew to the countryside where they worked. To continue its work informally, the Rural Doctor Federation became the RDS. In 1982, many of the doctors behind the RDS organized and registered the RDF as an official umbrella for their programs.
Other prominent leaders of the RDS were activists, including Mr. Chokevivat, Choochai Supawongse, Kriengsak Wacharanukulkiet, Supat Hasuwannakit, and the late Sanguan Nitayarumphong. The main objective of the RDS was to support public health services in rural areas and spread public health awareness. RDS doctors advocate for policy changes and participate in health governance. It also continued to push for democracy and stood up against corruption in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, the more organized RDF uses better health care measures through official channels. It also works with other civil society and international organizations, including local networks for nurses and pharmacists as well as the World Health Organization.
This award is presented to the Rural Physicians Association in recognition of their “historical and ongoing contribution to the lives of their people—and perhaps most importantly, to their recognition and fulfillment as citizens with fundamental rights. By advocating for the rural poor, the organization ensured that no one was left behind as the nation moved forward towards greater economic prosperity and modernization,” as the Award citation reads. .
What is Ramon Magsaysay’s salary?
The Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered one of the highest honors in Asia, is given in honor of “a great spirit shown in selfless service to the people of Asia.”
This award was established by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1957 in honor of the late President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay. It was awarded for the first time in 1958. Until 2008, it was awarded in six categories: government work, public service, public leadership, peace and international understanding; outstanding leadership and journalism, literature, and creative communication arts. Apart from the emerging leadership, all other groups are cut off.
To date, 322 individuals and 26 organizations from 22 Asian countries have been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award. Other organizations that have won the Award in recent years include the Indonesian social documentary venture Watchdog Media Mandiri (2021), the Philippine Educational Theater Association (2017), the Laotian emergency services organization Vientiane Rescue (2016), the humanitarian organization of Indonesia Dompet Dhuafa (2016) and the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (2016), a global volunteer network that promotes peace and international solidarity.
According to a government announcement, 25 individuals or organizations from Thailand have received the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Other awardees this year are Japanese filmmaker and co-founder of Ghibli studios Hayao Miyazaki, Phuntsho Karma of Bhutan, a former Buddhist monk, scholar and social worker; Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who works with the Vietnam Association of Agent Orange / Dioxin Victims (VAVA); and Farhan Farwiza from Indonesia, founder of the conservation organization Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA), which aims to preserve the Leuser ecosystem.
The 2024 awards will be honored at a ceremony in Manila in November.
It has been published – 12 September 2024 02:17 pm IST
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