June 1, 2009
Bangkok (ASTV Manager Online) – The National Health Security Office (NHSO) agreed to raise the dialysis fee for kidney patients from 1,500 to 1,700 baht.
Chronical kidney patients will be covered in this scheme.
Qualified patients are those who age more than sixty years and are with implications, especially heart disease.
NHSO pays a subsidy of 1,200 baht for this group of kidney patients who will still be charged 500 baht per service use.
Public health ministry plans to use Chiang Rai Hospital as a concept hospital, allowing the private sector to establish the dialysis unit.
In the long run, all hospital will be able to charge the flat rate.
It is expected that kidney patients will not have to pay their service charges by 2012.
There are approximately 6,000 kidney patients who depend on dialysis service at the moment.
One-third or about 2,000 patients are elders.
Dialysis is initially used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function due to renal failure.
Kidneys usually maintain the body’s internal equilibrium of and minerals such as sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, etc.
