February 10, 2009
Bangkok (ASTV Manager Online) – Public health ministry set up an ad hoc unit to keep up with the impact of the global economic crisis on Thais. The poor, the unemployed, kids and elders are risk groups.
Worldwide countries including Thailand are facing the economic recession which tends to be more severe than the 1997 economic crisis. The public health budget was affected due to government budget cut.
As a result, an infant weighs less than 2.5 kilograms and people have adjusted to the crisis by reducing their health spending. People have bought medicines from drugstores rather than go to hospital.
More people are under stress and tend to commit suicide. It is expected up to 1-2 million people will be unemployed this year.
Risk groups include the poor, the unemployed, kids and aged people.
A committee was set up to keep up with the impact of the economic crisis on health and service system.
The Health Intelligent Unit (HIU) was also established as a working group to gather information about Thais’ health. The unit will run until December 2010.
