Medical workforce
Abundant for the few, shortage for the majority: the inequitable distribution of doctors in Thailand
Strategies to counter Thailand’s urban healthcare bias
Authors:
T. Noree; H. Chokchaichan; V. Mongkolporn
Publisher:
Asia Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources for Health , 2005
This paper reviews the human resources for health (HRH) situation, trends and priority problems in Thailand. The priority HRH problems in Thailand are the inequitable distribution, health worker shortages, the provider-patient relationship, and poor morale and productivity. Inequitable distribution of doctors is considered the most serious problem, with 23 times more doctors in the capital city compared to the province. Several factors contribute to these problems, including: the rapid expansion of the urban private hospitals; the lack of opportunity for continuing education; the urban origin of the graduates; and the influx of foreign patients.
The authors conclude that whiles HRH is a problem that has been assigned significance amongst policy makers in Thailand, strategies so far adopted have not proved successful. Based on consultations with stakeholders, the report outlines a set of three components for the future continuous and sustainable knowledge-based HRH development: knowledge generation and management linked to priority areas such as distribution, demand, and research and development; development of an HRH information system, such as a national HRH clearinghouse; and developing sustainable capacity for HRH management through an HRH development unit linked to stakeholders and a multi-stakeholder forum at national level.
