Govt suggestion ‘not a mandate’, he says
PUBLISHED : 5 Could 2025 at 05:03
Public Well being Minister Somsak Thepsutin defended the federal government’s push to advertise natural medicines over Western pharmaceutical merchandise for treating widespread sicknesses, saying the initiative was supposed to supply sufferers with various therapy choices.
Mr Somsak mentioned medical doctors — notably these working in state-run hospitals — ought to take into account prescribing natural medicines to their sufferers.
Doing so won’t solely scale back the nation’s reliance on imported medication and produce down therapy prices but in addition enhance public confidence on the efficacy of such treatments.
He burdened the initiative was meant to assist promote Thai conventional medicines, noting it wasn’t supposed as a mandate for medical doctors. “This isn’t an enforced coverage — it’s only a suggestion for physicians,” Mr Somsak mentioned.
Though medical doctors are free to decide on the kind of medicines they prescribe for his or her sufferers, Mr Somsak mentioned clinics and hospitals which promote conventional treatments may gain advantage from the incentives offered by the Nationwide Well being Safety Workplace (NHSO), which allocates round one billion baht per 12 months to assist the promotion of Thai natural medicines.
Regardless of the ministry’s assurances, many medical doctors have voiced considerations concerning the impression the coverage may need on public well being.
One physician, who requested to not be recognized, mentioned the transfer places them in a troublesome place, as a number of these treatments have but to be scientifically confirmed to be efficient.
One other identified that sure natural treatments are literally costlier than Western medicines, on account of their restricted provide available in the market. Others, in the meantime, are apprehensive the advice will result in delays in searching for efficient therapy amongst sufferers.
In response to considerations about restricted provides and excessive costs, Somruek Chungsaman, director-general of the Thai Conventional and Various Medication Division, mentioned the nation can meet the rising demand for conventional treatments, noting there are 44 non-public firms and state-run businesses who’re mass producing them already.
He defended the efficacy of conventional herbs, noting they’re included within the nationwide important medicines checklist as they’ve been confirmed to be efficient in deal with 5 widespread situations: flu, muscle ache, constipation, flatulence and haemorrhoids.
To ease considerations amongst medical doctors who should not aware of prescribing natural drugs, he mentioned the hospital’s data techniques show prescription particulars, together with dosages and therapy pointers for natural medication.
“Over time, they are going to be extra comfy with prescribing conventional treatments,” he mentioned, attributing resistance to the brand new system to inside miscommunication slightly than coverage flaws. The division is planning a survey to assemble suggestions from the nation’s medical doctors, and the information might be used to refine Thai natural drugs promotion methods sooner or later, Dr Somruek mentioned.
