Thailand invests 37 billion baht for 62,000 new family medicine practitioners

The Thai government approved a significant investment of 37 billion baht into the country’s healthcare sector, aimed at producing an additional 62,000 family medicine practitioners over the next decade. This initiative, approved during a Cabinet meeting yesterday, February 20, is designed to enhance the nation’s primary care services.

Government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke explained that the objective of this investment is to significantly increase the number of healthcare professionals specialising in family medicine. The ultimate goal is to enhance the quality and reach of primary care services across the nation, reported Bangkok Post.

The Public Health Ministry suggested the project, which is scheduled to run from 2025 through 2034. It has an ambitious target of training and producing 62,000 new family medicine professionals. This diverse group includes physicians, nurses, public health scholars, nursing assistants, public health assistants, dentists, pharmacists, paramedics, and traditional Thai medicine practitioners.

Delve into the intricate facets of Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) as it has evolved over centuries, offering a holistic approach to healthcare through five distinct methodologies: internal medicine, external medicine, spirit medicine, divination, and Buddhism. Internal medicine, with its focus on herbs and diet, predates Western medicine’s scientific paradigm shift, remaining prevalent among alternative therapists today.

External medicine encompasses various therapeutic practices like manipulation and massage, once widespread in the West but now primarily practised by physiotherapists and chiropractors. Spirit medicine employs amulets and Sak Yant tattooing for spiritual protection and healing, akin to similar practices found in Western cultures. Divination, a means of seeking knowledge through supernatural means, shares parallels with Western meditation practices.

On top of that, Buddhism serves as the mental health branch of TTM, advocating for balance among life’s elements for overall well-being. Despite TTM’s historical significance, it was removed from the Thai medical curriculum in 1915, leading to the dominance of Western medicine, albeit with critiques regarding Thai-trained doctors’ performance due to insufficient training and cultural biases stemming from Confucian ideology.