Cost of occupational health services for farmers provided by the primary care units in Suphanburi, Nakhon Pathom, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province

Abstract

This study aims to determine the cost of occupational health services in term of: farmers clinic provided by primary care units (PCUs). It was a retrospective study using Activity-based costing (ABC). Datas were collected from 12 PCUs in Suphanburi, Nakhon Pathom, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces during 1st October 2014 to 30th September 2015. Data including personel salary, material cost, capital cost, occupational health services activities and proportion of such activities were collected. All costs were analyzed using MS Excel. The statistics used were the average ratio and percentage. Results showed that the total cost were 260,519.7 baht per PCUs and the proportion of labor cost: material cost: capital cost was 49.1:47.2:1.0. Occupational diseases screening, diagnosis and treatment were the highest cost per unit 52,531.3 baht. The cost of good and very good level of healthy farmer clinic PCUs were 1.2 and 1.4 times higher than the basic level PCUs. Key activities including risk assessment occupa¬tional disease screening, diagnosis and treatment were 42.8, 65.2,29.4 และ 105.2 baht per person respec¬tively. In addition the cost of walkthrough survey and risks assessment in the workplace were 9,656.8 baht per workplace. The results of this study could recommend for the budget allocation which support occupa¬tional health services in term of “healthy farmer clinic” provided by PCUs. The local related agencies could support PCUs to get good or very good level of farmer clinic for more occupational health services activities provision.