The UCS improves the lives of people living with knee pain

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the common health problems among Thai elder people. 

Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, reported in 2018 that more than six million people in Thailand suffered from knee osteoarthritis, which is the primary reason for the elderly’s disabilities.

The elderly have an 80-90% chance of having the disease because their physical decline comes with age. 

Laborers working in the agricultural sector or lifting heavy weights have higher risks to develop knee osteoarthritis.
 
Many of these risk groups, especially those in low-income households, did not get knee replacements in the past because of its high cost — between 50,000 and 70,000 baht per surgery. 

The unaffordability of this treatment prevented many elder people from having a good quality of life.

They couldn’t walk and move properly, and in many cases, must rely on their families assistance. 

But access to treatment has been drastically improved since the introduction of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) in 2002. 

Covering more than 47 million Thais, the UCS provides free knee replacements to its beneficiaries — many of whom are the elderly and middle-aged people.  


“Most of the people receiving the surgery could return to normal life afterward,” said Dr Jadej Thammatacharee, secretary-general of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) which oversees the UCS.

The UCS benefits package covers surgery fees and artificial joints. From 2017 to 2021, approximately 9,735 surgeries were provided to patients living with knee osteoarthritis each year. 

The surgeries were provided by 232 hospitals around the country.
 
Kasem Kantanet, 59, is one of the patients receiving knee replacement under the UCS.
 
Before the surgery, he suffered from knee pain for over a decade as he had worked in the paddy field for his whole life. 

The symptoms became severe in 2021. 

He couldn’t walk, sit and stand smoothly. His knees became deformed. He must reduce his work days from seven to three days a week, affecting his income.
     
Last year, he visited Chiangkam Hospital in Payao province where he received free medical consultation, diagnosis, X-ray, and medicine.

Later the physician found medications could not relieve his pain anymore and ordered surgery for one of Kasem’s knees. 
      

“Surgery is the best solution as medications and rehabilitation could not improve his condition.

The X-ray shows his knee joints severely deteriorated,” said Dr Chawapon Chaimuang, the head of the orthopedics department at Chiangkam Hospital.

“Our hospital has three surgeons operating around 100 joint replacements each year. Two by three of these operations are funded by the UCS.”  

After the surgery, Kasem was closely monitored for a week at the hospital. He visited the hospital once every one to two months for follow-up.   

He nearly returned to normal life two months after the surgery. He and Dr Chawapon are planning another surgery for the remaining knee early this year.