GOOD GOVERNANCE: THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTHCARE GUARANTEE FOR THAI CITIZENS

Abstract

This article aims to study the current state of Thai healthcare, specifically the “30 Baht Treats All” program or the “One ID Card for Universal Healthcare” policy. It focuses on the benefits, advantages, disadvantages, and potential risks or impacts of this development from the previous “30 Baht Treats All Diseases” project. This policy is a crucial public health initiative for Thai citizens, overseen by the National Health Security Office (NHSO). The “One ID Card for Universal Healthcare” project aims to provide Thai people with easy and quick access to healthcare services anywhere in the country, eliminating the need to visit only designated hospitals as in the past and reducing the complexity of patient referrals between hospitals. Medical records are interconnected through a digital information system, enhancing the efficiency of healthcare services. However, for this project to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness, all involved parties must not only adhere to sound management principles but also be guided by ethical considerations in their duties. The author believes that “good governance” is the key principle that will drive this initiative a healthcare guarantee for Thai citizens using only their 13-digit national identification number, or simply their ID card. In other words, it can be described as “Thai healthcare security with a single ID card.”