Ministry of Public Health Promotes Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine in Hospitals Nationwide

(29/03/2012)

All hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health will increase Thai traditional and alternative medical services in an effort to reduce the use of Western medicine, which is very costly. Deputy Public Health Minister, Surawit Khonsomboon, said that Thailand spends about 130 billion baht each year on drug imports. The figure represents 35 percent of the country’s healthcare costs and shows that Thailand still depends heavily on Western medicine. In response to the Government’s policy of reducing the country’s medical costs, he said that the Ministry of Public Health had told 10,580 hospitals under its supervision nationwide to use at least 20 indigenous herb items in their health services. A total of 71 indigenous herb items have already been included in the national drug list. In 2012, the Ministry wants its subdistrict-level medical facilities to make herbal medicine 10 percent of their total costs of medicine, while the use of herbs in community hospitals should account for 5 percent. Moreover, at least one doctor specializing in Thai medicine will be posted at 588 community hospitals, representing 80 percent of all community hospitals across the country. The Ministry of Public Health has also assigned the Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine to control the quality of medicinal plants to be used for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The production of Thai herbal items will be based on the principles of good manufacturing practice and the standards set by the Food and Drug Administration. This will help promote Thailand’s herbal products and its ambitious plan to play a leading role in traditional medicine in ASEAN when it becomes a single community in the next few years. A survey of Thai traditional medicine conducted in 2009 shows that out of 3,478 hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health, 72 percent had personnel in traditional Thai medical services. The most popular traditional method was the use of herbs, at 59 percent, followed by traditional massage, at 35 percent. There were almost three million service users who were mainly in the northeastern region. Traditional Thai medicine is an ancient healing science reflecting folk wisdom passed on from generation to generation. It consists of the medical processes concerned with examination, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, disease prevention, and rehabilitation. The use of herbal medicine has been part of Thai life since ancient times. Herbs can be used in both medicine and health food. The growing popularity of natural products and consumption of holistic food have led to the expansion of traditional methods of health care.