May 14, 20179 yr From Channel News Asia BANGKOK: Large crowds and long queues are common in almost every Thai public hospital. Rural hospitals in particular are suffering from a severe shortage of doctors and most are short on funds. According to the Thai Medical Council, there are just over 50,000 doctors in the country - with almost half of them clustered in Bangkok. The unequal distribution of medical practitioners means hospitals in rural areas are overcrowded with only a handful of doctors. Some observers say the shortage of doctors comes from a more systematic failing of the Thai healthcare system. “Speaking from my personal experience - the reason why the public healthcare system in Thailand is failing is the attitude of most administrators and management,” said Dr Witawat Siripracha, a former doctor and director of Lanta Hospital in southern Krabi province. According to the standard ratio of one doctor per population, one doctor should be responsible for about 1,500 people. The lack of doctors in many rural areas has driven the number to as high as 7,000. “Back then, I was one of the six interns and had to work double shifts for 26 days straight,” said Dr Witawat. “The older doctors rarely showed up because they had their private clinic to run, so the young doctors had to run the show.” http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/thailand-s-failing-public-healthcare-needs-a-lifeline-8832408
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