Health Services

The Fourth National Economic and Social Development Plan
 (1977-1981). Part III, Chapter 7, p.254-255.

Date:     1977-1981

Source:     Office of the Prime Minister, National Economic and Social Development Board, Bangkok, Thailand

Subject:     health services, health policy

2.2  Policy

In the Fourth National Economic and Social Development Plan, the Government will provide health services such as medical care and treatment, disease prevention and health programmes for all sectors of the general public. These services will be provided particularly in rural areas. The health service system will be urgently improved and developed in the following ways:-

2.2.1  The number and efficiency of health personnel of all categories will be increased through a revision of selection procedures, by organizing refresher courses for personnel already employed and in devising measures relating to the distribution and utilization of manpower in the public health service.

2.2.2  Medical care services and treatment for the benefit of poor people will be improved and expanded.

2.2.3  Effort to control, prevent and treat various communicable diseases will be organized more effectively so that people in all areas will be safe from these diseases.

2.2.4  Work on the investigation and diagnosis of diseases in general and the part that concerns medical care, treatment and health services in provincial areas will be reinforced.

2.2.5  Efficiency of work on family planning will be increased so that such services cover a wider geographical area and have more effect on the population growth rate.

2.2.6  The health and nutritional status of mothers and children will be improved. Infants and pre-school children will receive adequate supplementary food supplies which are necessary for their growth and development.

2.2.7  Efforts to check environmental deterioration which affects public health will be strengthened, especially the efforts to ensure adequate supplies of safe and clean drinking water for the population in urban and rural areas. Sewage disposal systems will be set up. Measures to prevent poisonings from food, medicine and other poisonous substances will be made as effective as possible.

2.2.8  The method of production, marketing, use and distribution of medicine must be supervised more effectively with emphasis on improving the quality of medicine and regulating prices. Drug stores and pharmaceutical trading companies will be properly supervised for public benefit. Domestic production of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry will be encouraged.

2.2.9  Community mental health services will be improved and expanded. Special emphasis will be given to efforts to alleviate problems resulting from drug addition and efforts to control the use of other chemical substances which have effects on the nerve system.