National Health Security Office (NHSO), the Thai government agency operating Universal Health Coverage (UCS) scheme, announced its achievement through 1.8-billion-baht health initiatives during the COVID-19 outbreak.
 
The NHSO has partnered with health providers and community pharmacist network in running the new health services that adapt to social distancing, maintain people's access to healthcare, and reduce overcrowding at hospitals. Those initiatives are;
 
Free COVID-19 testing

Every Thai citizen can get free COVID-19 testing if he/she has a record of exposure to the disease. More than 401,946 tests were conducted between 2 Mar and 20 July. Half of the tests were provided to beneficiaries of Social Security Scheme, 34% UCS, and 12% Civil Servants Medical Benefits scheme. The NHSO reimbursed around 1.2 billion baht to laboratory and hospital operators that conduct the tests. Currently, 190 laboratories in Thailand are certified for COVID-19 testing. Out of those, 132 and 58 are run by state-own and private facilities, respectively.
 
Free COVID-19 treatment

Every Thai citizen and foreigner living in Thailand can get free COVID-19 treatment if he/she is infected. As of 20 Jul, free treatment was provided to 25,953 patients. The NHSO reimbursed more than 524 million baht to health providers that had offered the treatment---covering free medicines, patients' meals, negative-pressure room services, the operation of COVID-19 special wards, purchase of Personal Protective Equipment, vehicles used for patient transfers and health facility cleaning. 
 
Medicine home delivery

Under the context of social distancing, health providers have shipped medicines to patients' addresses so they could stay home and avoid contracting to the coronavirus. Chronic-disease patients in stable conditions---including those with hypertension, diabetes, and HIV---are encouraged to register for medicine home delivery service. The NHSO has covered postage fees for health providers with an amount of 50 baht per shipment. More than 121,119 parcels filled with medicine are shipped to patients' homes between 8 Apr and 22 Jul. More than 200 hospitals have provided the service.
 
Pick up medicine from the community pharmacies

Patients can pick up medicine from community pharmacies nearby their homes since Oct 2019, which is the effort of the NHSO and pharmacist network to reduce overcrowding at hospitals and save time for patients. The initiative has become more significant during the COVID-19 outbreak, in which patients found difficulty in commuting to hospitals. Under the normal process, UCS beneficiaries must visit hospitals where they register with, get prescriptions from doctors, then get medicine from the pharmaceutical dispense unit. It can take at least half a day to complete a hospital visit.
 
To shorten the time spending at hospitals, patients can visit community pharmacies and pick up medicine according to doctors' prescriptions. The NHSO will then reimburse the cost of medicine to pharmacy operators, approximately around 33,000 bath per pharmacy per year, or 70 baht per prescription. As of 15 Jul, the NHSO reimbursed about 39 million baht in total to pharmacy operators and health providers who supply medicine in this initiative. Over 130 hospitals and 1,199 pharmacies join the program,
 
After-hour urgent care service

Patients can request urgent care from health providers during after hours, which is the Public Health Ministry's policy to increase people's access to quality care and reduce overcrowding at the emergency rooms. More than 63,692 people used the after-hour urgent care service between 1 Dec 2019 and 20 Jul. The NHSO funded nearly 12 million baht to hospital providers that run the service.