In a bid to alleviate the chronic shortage of doctors in rural areas, the Public Health Ministry has come up with a plan to produce one doctor per tambon.

The project will be run for six years starting this year, Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat said yesterday, after chairing a meeting of the ministry's committee overseeing staff deficiencies in the state healthcare system.

It is hoped Thailand will have an additional 4,530 new doctors, excluding 320 who will graduate under the ministry's project to improve the country's healthcare system, said Pinij.

These doctors will be separated from the normal university admission system, but will be under the control of the Medical Council, said Pinij.

"No need to worry about the quality of these doctors - all will meet the same standard," he said.

Normally, Thailand produces about 2,000 doctors per year, which is far from sufficient to meet demand, particularly in state hospitals and rural areas. Hundreds of doctors each year move to better pay and conditions in private hospitals.

To keep new doctors in the state system, the ministry will impose stricter measures in granting scholarships for qualified medical students under this project, said Pinij.

Those receiving a scholarship to study medicine under the project will be required to remain in a designated state hospital for six years, or face a fine of up to Bt1.8 million.

Those being covered by the one doctor, one tambon scheme will be obligated to work in a certain hospital for 12 years, or face a fine of Bt2.2 million. This programme will also provide medical students

with Bt8,000 a month while studying.

Currently, the obligatory period of working after graduation is only three years and carries a fine of Bt400,000.

Duangkamon Sajirawattanakul

 The Nation