3.75-billion-baht fund approved for fighting COVID-19 
 
Thai cabinet approved a 3.75-billion-baht fund for National Health Security Office (NHSO) to support health units in COVID-19 emergency response. 
 
The fund is a part of the government's one-trillion-baht loan decree to fight against the pandemic and mitigate its social and economic impact. 
 
It will cover the cost for hospitals providing COVID-19 relevant services without interrupting other essential health services under Universal Health Coverage System.


 
NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadej Thammathat-Aree said that part of the recent approval fund would answer the increasing need for COVID-19 screening tests, following the discovery of highly contagious UK strain in local cases. 
 
Initially, the screening test is provided to persons identified as "Patient Under Investigation" under the Department of Disease Control (DDC) 's guideline. They must show COVID-19 symptoms and have a history of visiting the pandemic-affected areas or work in quarantine facilities. 
 
However, the recent local cases with UK variant tend to show no or very few symptoms, pushing the DDC to include "doctor's diagnosis" as a new condition to approve coronavirus screening tests.
 
As a result, more people require the tests recently despite showing no symptoms. 
The government fund obtained by the NHSO will cover;
 
1.Nasopharyngeal/throat swab specimen test RT-PCR (NHSO will cover 1,600 baht  per test, 600 baht for staff compensation, and 100 for specimen collection.) 
 
2.Combination of RT-PCR, such as;
 
- Pooled saliva samples (320 baht per test, 100 baht for staff fees, and 100 baht for specimen collection) 
 
- Pooled nasopharyngeal and throat swab samples (400 baht per test, 75 baht for staff fees, and 100 baht for specimen collection)
 
- Repeat of RT-PCR for persons having positive test results (1,600 baht per test, 200 baht for staff fees and specimen collection)
 
3.Antigen test (No exceed than 1,200 baht per test)
 
4.Antibody test (No exceed than 350 baht per test)
 
It will also cover the cost for running negative pressure rooms (2,500 baht/case/day,) field hospitals and hospitels (1,500 baht/case/day.)
 
Though the Thai government encourages people to get COVID-19 testing and treatment at state hospitals, NHSO will cover the cost of services for patients getting service in private hospitals. 
 
"COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency situation that will bring the financial burden to patients if any healthcare schemes do not cover them.
 
We want everyone in Thailand to feel confident that if they follow doctors and hospital staff's guidance, they will not need to pay any fees," said Dr Jadej.  
 
NHSO will reimburse the fees to the hospital operators directly. 
 
In supporting hospital operators, NHSO has recently adjusted its claim process by allowing hospital operators to claim the cost for providing COVID-19 relevant services every two weeks. 
In a normal situation, the claims process takes around one month to transfer public health funds to hospital operators. 
 
"This will maintain financial liquidity for hospital operators who must provide emergency services every day," said Dr Jadej.