Evaluation of the Provision of Traditional Thai Medicine Services in Public-Sector Health Facilities under the Universal Health Security Scheme

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating the provision of Thai traditional medicine services in public-sector health facilities under the Universal Health Security Scheme. It was found that Thai traditional medicine services in such facilities are under the responsibility of consumer protection working groups, Thai traditional medicine work, or social medicine work. Most of the health facilities (61.4%) provided four types of Thai traditional medicine services, while some provide only 1-3 types of services, depending on the readiness of each facility. The four types of services are 1) sale of herbal medicines and herbal products; 2) massage, herbal steam bath and hot herbal compress services; 3) training courses on Thai traditional medicine; and 4) production of herbal medicines and herbal products. Most of the personnel who provide Thai traditional medicine services are Thai masseurs/masseuses and “ayurvedic” practitioners. Most of the clients were patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders requiring Thai massage for therapeutic and rehabilitation purposes; however, the health promotion and disease prevention services and activities were not well accepted by the public. The majority of the clients (79.0%) were very satisfied with the services they received. In addition, people who attended the Thai massage training course used the knowledge gained to take care of the health of their family and themselves, and as a vocational tool to earn their living. It can be said that Thai traditional medicine services are a proactive innovation on health care in the country; they involve the social context, national health policy and the readiness of health-care facilities to support the development of Thai traditional medicine services, which are regarded as an alternative approach of holistic health care. However, there are some weaknesses related to manpower in the service system that need to be overcome in terms of quantity and quality in order to match the requirement for the provision of Thai traditional medicine services for therapeutic purposes, health promotion and disease prevention. Several strategies are recommended to successfully integrate Thai traditional medicine into the health service system, namely to advocate that policy makers make Thai traditional medicine a national strategy, improve the standards of the Thai traditional medicine training curriculum and strengthen the knowledge of Thai traditional medicine so that it will gain equal recognition and acceptance by the public and other health-care personnel as does modern medicine.Last but not least, the structure of manpower must be established and the civil servant positions and fiscal budget for the salary of workers who provide Thai traditional medicine service in public-sector health facilities must be allocated to support the systematic development of human resources.