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Success story: Songkhla expands local access to rehabilitation therapy
The local government of Songkhla initiates a program to improve life quality of elderly, bedridden, and disabled people, with support from Provincial Rehabilitation Fund (PRF) overseen by the National Health Security Office (NHSO).
The PRF provides financial assistance to provincial governments submitting health project proposals to the NHSO.
It’s one of the mechanisms that distribute financial resources to local governments, which know best about local people’s health issues.
In Songkhla, Thailand’s southern province, funding under the PRF has been used to invest in expanding rehabilitation centers, hiring physiotherapists and purchasing equipment to assist marginalized groups.
Rehabilitation center
Khao Rup Chang is one of Songkhla’s districts that participate in activities funded by the PRF.
“Our district has many elderly and disabled people demanding support. To get financial resources, we submitted the proposal to the NHSO to purchase equipment for our target groups and fund rehabilitation therapy services,” said Jakthon Surisang, mayor of Khao Rup Chang Municipality.
“We also signed an MoU with Songkhla Hospital to seek help for technical support. Our residents can now access rehabilitation therapy in our center located in their community's territory. They don’t need to travel to hospitals and wait in long queues like before.”
Under the PRF, the municipality can hire two physiotherapists at the rehabilitation center, cover transportation fees for local people visiting the center and develop a mobile application to assist them with booking appointments.
The municipality co-funds some activities under the PRF to ensure the quality and adequacy of health services.
Fixing service center
Under the PRF, the service for fixing equipment used by people living with disabilities is made available. The service has been provided at Hatyai Technical College since three years ago.
Aek Kwanprom, manager of the fixing service center, said that his center receives around 40 to 50 requests a month. The requests include fixing wheelchairs, bed aids and seats for disabled people.
It also allows disabled people to borrow equipment and return once they have their own.
Each center was set up with a 500,000-baht budget and didn’t charge disabled people requesting its services.
“We hire disabled people to fix equipment at our center. They went through training and were hired by a private company. We signed an MoU with 14 organizations, including Songkhla Disabled People Association, which agreed on providing jobs to disabled people in our community," said Aek.
The center has been expanded into three locations across Songkhla province. His team is planning to add one more soon.
Elder care
Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization opened an elder care center four years ago, also with support from the PRF.
It first targeted only elder people. But due to increasing demand, it expands the services to general people who require rehabilitation therapy and Thai traditional medicine services.
Kanokchon Poontheeraton, the physiotherapist at the center, said that her staff plans to include home care services for bedridden patients in the near future.
“We’ve worked closely with Songkhla Hospital and Ministry of Public Health district hospitals to provide seamless care to patients. Many of them can get health services at our center and will be transferred to advancing hospitals if needed,” she said.
“We’ve collaborated with village health volunteers to identify patients needing rehabilitation therapy.”
Paijen Maksuwan, Chief Executive of the Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization, said that his organization plans to expand the rehabilitation centers to 19 locations in 16 districts.
Currently, 11 centers are in operation. He said that elder patients will be able to stay overnight at the center when the facilities are ready.
“The purpose of expanding the centers is to increase access to rehabilitation care timely and ensure health equally,” he said.
“We find many local people can’t afford the trips to hospitals because they live far from the urban areas. We want them to get health services no different from those living in cities.”
In addition, his organization provides financial assistance to residents who want to modify their houses to serve family members living with disabilities.
The modification includes building a ramp and installing grab bars. The amount of funds is between 20,000 and 60,000 baht.
Ensure health equity
“The NHSO has built local government’s capacity in recording health data, helping their staff understand our claiming process,” said the NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadej Thammathatacharee.
"The data can be uploaded to our Cloud and is useful for understanding health issues of local people in a long term.
Though the rehabilitation centers run by the local government can’t provide advancing medical services like the big hospitals, Dr Jadej believes that they are important for ensuring health equity.
"These centers also help reduce hospital crowd and allow patients to get essential health services whenever they need them,” said Dr Jadej.
The PRF provides financial assistance to provincial governments submitting health project proposals to the NHSO.
It’s one of the mechanisms that distribute financial resources to local governments, which know best about local people’s health issues.
In Songkhla, Thailand’s southern province, funding under the PRF has been used to invest in expanding rehabilitation centers, hiring physiotherapists and purchasing equipment to assist marginalized groups.
Rehabilitation center
Khao Rup Chang is one of Songkhla’s districts that participate in activities funded by the PRF.
“Our district has many elderly and disabled people demanding support. To get financial resources, we submitted the proposal to the NHSO to purchase equipment for our target groups and fund rehabilitation therapy services,” said Jakthon Surisang, mayor of Khao Rup Chang Municipality.
“We also signed an MoU with Songkhla Hospital to seek help for technical support. Our residents can now access rehabilitation therapy in our center located in their community's territory. They don’t need to travel to hospitals and wait in long queues like before.”
Under the PRF, the municipality can hire two physiotherapists at the rehabilitation center, cover transportation fees for local people visiting the center and develop a mobile application to assist them with booking appointments.
The municipality co-funds some activities under the PRF to ensure the quality and adequacy of health services.
Fixing service center
Under the PRF, the service for fixing equipment used by people living with disabilities is made available. The service has been provided at Hatyai Technical College since three years ago.
Aek Kwanprom, manager of the fixing service center, said that his center receives around 40 to 50 requests a month. The requests include fixing wheelchairs, bed aids and seats for disabled people.
It also allows disabled people to borrow equipment and return once they have their own.
Each center was set up with a 500,000-baht budget and didn’t charge disabled people requesting its services.
“We hire disabled people to fix equipment at our center. They went through training and were hired by a private company. We signed an MoU with 14 organizations, including Songkhla Disabled People Association, which agreed on providing jobs to disabled people in our community," said Aek.
The center has been expanded into three locations across Songkhla province. His team is planning to add one more soon.
Elder care
Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization opened an elder care center four years ago, also with support from the PRF.
It first targeted only elder people. But due to increasing demand, it expands the services to general people who require rehabilitation therapy and Thai traditional medicine services.
Kanokchon Poontheeraton, the physiotherapist at the center, said that her staff plans to include home care services for bedridden patients in the near future.
“We’ve worked closely with Songkhla Hospital and Ministry of Public Health district hospitals to provide seamless care to patients. Many of them can get health services at our center and will be transferred to advancing hospitals if needed,” she said.
“We’ve collaborated with village health volunteers to identify patients needing rehabilitation therapy.”
Paijen Maksuwan, Chief Executive of the Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization, said that his organization plans to expand the rehabilitation centers to 19 locations in 16 districts.
Currently, 11 centers are in operation. He said that elder patients will be able to stay overnight at the center when the facilities are ready.
“The purpose of expanding the centers is to increase access to rehabilitation care timely and ensure health equally,” he said.
“We find many local people can’t afford the trips to hospitals because they live far from the urban areas. We want them to get health services no different from those living in cities.”
In addition, his organization provides financial assistance to residents who want to modify their houses to serve family members living with disabilities.
The modification includes building a ramp and installing grab bars. The amount of funds is between 20,000 and 60,000 baht.
Ensure health equity
“The NHSO has built local government’s capacity in recording health data, helping their staff understand our claiming process,” said the NHSO secretary-general Dr Jadej Thammathatacharee.
"The data can be uploaded to our Cloud and is useful for understanding health issues of local people in a long term.
Though the rehabilitation centers run by the local government can’t provide advancing medical services like the big hospitals, Dr Jadej believes that they are important for ensuring health equity.
"These centers also help reduce hospital crowd and allow patients to get essential health services whenever they need them,” said Dr Jadej.
