Thai government to go ahead with P4P scheme

BANGKOK, June 8 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Public Health, is going ahead with its pay-for-performance (P4P) scheme for public health personnel, covering doctors working in the upcountry. Speaking during the weekly TV and radio programme of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday morning, Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sintavanarong reiterated that his ministry's P4P scheme, which was launched on April 1, 2013, will be carried on and so far 20-30 per cent of hospitals in Thai rural areas have already implemented the scheme. Dr. Pradit, along with Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahametapat, acknowledged that misunderstanding on the P4P scheme among rural doctors has already been settled, after the public health minister and a representative of the Rural Doctor Society reached an agreement at a meeting on Friday on the setting up of a joint working group to review and to revise relevant regulations, if needed. Rural doctors opposed the public health minister's decision on partially replace their hardship allowance with the P4P scheme, claiming that the hardship allowance is the best incentive to retain medical staff at rural Thai hospitals. Insisting that people will benefit from the P4P scheme and the Thai government has no intention to cut the allowance of rural doctors, the public health minister said that his ministry will provide assistance to rural hospitals which are required to participate in the scheme within October 1, 2013. (TNA)