Community Health Fund supports free glasses to the elderly
 
The Community Health Fund (CHF) provides eye examinations and glasses to elderly in Sakon Nakhon province.
 
On 2 June, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) Deputy Secretary-General Dr Athaporn Limpanyalers led the NHSO Office Region 8 to follow up on the outcome of CHF implementation in Song Dao Nong Daeng Municipality in Song Dao district of Sakon Nakhon.
 

Introduced in 2006, CHF is the NHSO’s health program that encourages local administrative organizations and municipalities in Thailand to promote good health and well-being of the people in their governing areas.
 
They can propose health projects related to primary care, community-based care, or health promotion and disease prevention to the NHSO and get the fund to make the projects materialize.
 
Engaging local governments in the health system is one of the main components of Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage. As local governments are close to communities, they can identify local health needs and design the projects that answer these needs.
 

In Song Dao Nong Daeng, the CHF and the municipality co-funded a health program that expand vision screening and provide free glasses to senior citizens.

The 51,600-baht program is implemented by Song Dao Community Hospital, said the municipality mayor Tong-on Pongkamsinh.
 
Vichan Datumma, the chief of Song Dao district, said that the program involves village health volunteers in searching for elderly having poor vision, either long- or shot-eyesight.
 
This survey finds 358 people urgently needed due to  vision problems trouble their daily lives.
 
“Having personal glasses can improve the quality of life and mental state of seniors. They can live normal lives, like watching television and walking around their houses, without needing assistance from their family members,” said Vichan.
 

Thevee Kesri, a 74-year-old resident of Song Dao Nong Daeng district, said that the poor eyesight c made completing daily tasks difficult. However, since receiving glasses through the CHF, she has regained a sense of normalcy and productivity.
 
Dr Athaporn said during his visit to the community that the elderly  are the primary focus for the NHSO as Thailand transitions to  an aged society.
 
Approximately one million people cross into elderly threshold of over 60 each year.
 
To improve their quality of life, the NHOS emphasizes the health program that provides devices and necessary items to the elderly, including glasses.
 

Dr Athaporn said the NHSO aims to provide free glasses to 500,000 seniors annually, with 60-million-baht allocated  to support the eye examination services and the procurement of glasses.
 
In addition, he said that the NHSO had engaged local governments through several programs.
 
One of those is the 2009-launch Provincial Rehabilitation Fund which supports local governments to provide care and assistive devices to people living with disabilities, the elderly, and patients requiring rehabilitation.
 

These programs are proved valuable, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when local governments play a significant role in disease surveillance and prevention.
 
With the fund from the CHF, local government organizations could obtain the resources to conduct COVID-19 screening, take care of persons under self-quarantine, and pay allowances to village health volunteers who provide home care to community members under the travel restriction.