Thai public health

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

100th anniversary of Thai Public health and Prince Mahidol 

Date of issue - 24.09.2019

Healthcare in Thailand is overseen by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), along with several other non-ministerial government agencies. Thailand's network of public hospitals provide universal healthcare to all Thai nationals through three government schemes- the civil service welfare system for civil servants and their families, Social Security for private employees, and the universal coverage scheme, introduced in 2002, which is theoretically available to all other Thai nationals. Private hospitals help complement the system, especially in Bangkok and large urban areas, and Thailand is among the world's leading medical tourism destinations. 

Thailand is gaining worldwide recognition for the quality of its healthcare services, after the US magazine CEOWORLD placed Thailand sixth in its' 2019 list of countries with the best healthcare systems.

Mahidol Songkla, was the father of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand. He also founded the House of Mahidol or the present Royal Family of Thailand.

Like the other sons of King Chulalongkorn, Prince Mahidol started his education at the Royal School within the Grand Palace. He received the title of Prince of Songkla at age 13. Following the wish of his half-brother, King Vajiravudh, he entered the Imperial German Naval Academy at Flensburg-Mürwik. The start of World War I compelled the Prince to come back to Thailand in 1914. 

His half-brother and old friend Prince Rangsitthen was then the Chief of the Royal Medical College. Medical and public health education did not receive much attention at that time, and medical practice was much lagged behind the Western standard. He strategically invited Prince Mahidol to a boat trip along the Bangkok Yai and Bangkok Noi canals. His office, Siriraj Hospital, was certainly on the route, and this was where he invited his half-brother to stop and have a look around. Having seen Mahidol's reaction to the poor state of the hospital, Prince Rangsit asked him if he wanted to help; Mahidol's answer at that time was, however, not very positive as he was concerned that he knew nothing about medicine himself. However, a few days elapsed and he agreed to help. He also decided he would study in related fields himself. Thus the Prince went to Cambridge, Massachusetts to study public health at Harvard. 

One of the first things he did when he returned was to set up scholarships for students in the fields of medicine, nursing, and public health. He was planning to return to Siriraj Hospital for internship. However, his princely status then became a problem as it was felt that he was too prestigious to be allowed internship. Undeterred, Mahidol chose another hospital in a more egalitarian environment – the missionary-run McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai. He worked there, day and night, as a resident doctor. His patients fondly called him "Mho Chao Fa" ('Doctor Prince').

His legacies remain to this day. The students sent abroad under his scholarships became key players in modern medicine of Thailand: many were regarded as great teachers, and some helped establish new medical schools and universities. In commemoration of the centenary of the Prince's birth, the Prince Mahidol Award was created in 1992.