Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
Health authorities are planning to focus more on treatment for the elderly, as Thailand is expected to become an ageing society in the next 20 years.
Read through the following story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about the social trend.
Treatment of chronic illness will be the focus of a range of new policies being adopted by public health authorities looking to deal with the country's ageing population.
CRITICAL ISSUE
Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said long-term care for the elderly was becoming a critical issue for the ministry, as Thailand's aged population was starting to grow quickly.
Speaking at a press conference to detail the ministry’s annual performance, Dr Piyasakol said a number of long-term care policies were successfully adopted in 2015 and more efforts would be made this year to improve health care.
AGEING THAILAND
Thailand will become an ageing society in the next 20 years. A survey by the ministry found that by 2040, 20.5 percent of the population would be aged 60 and over, or 23 percent of the country. The survey found about 95 percent of elderly Thais have chronic health problems such as hypertension and diabetes. It also found there were 6.3 million people aged 60 years or older across the country. Around 1 percent of them were bedridden while 19 percent were home-bound patients.
This situation had forced the government to allocate more funds for elderly healthcare. The ministry estimates costs will raise from 60 billion baht in 2010 to 220 billion baht in 2022.
DEADLY DISEASES
In 2015, the ministry provided training for more than 6,000 care-givers for palliative patients. It also set up 6,600 healthcare teams around the country. Each team comprises a doctor, nurses and health staff from community hospitals to provide home care to the elderly.
Dr Piyasakol said the ministry was successful in controlling and preventing emerging deadly diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Ebola.
BOOSTING CARE
Dr Piyasakol said the healthcare system had improved its treatment of a number of problems, including heart attacks. He said surgical services have been extended to cover 18 regional hospitals. Blood-thinning drugs have been provided in community hospitals nationwide.
Apart from healthcare services to cope with the ageing population, moves are being made to reduce the number of serious road injuries and deaths, boost general care services, increase transparency in healthcare management and boost medicine and vaccine capacity.
Exercises
Read the story and decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Dr Piyasakol said the healthcare system had improved its treatment of heart attacks.
……………….
2. A survey by the health ministry found that by 2040, 20.5 percent of the population would be aged 60 and over.
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3. The survey found about 59 percent of elderly Thais have chronic health problems
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4. Dr Piyasakol said the ministry failed to control and prevent emerging deadly diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Ebola.
……………….
Vocabulary
- adopt (v): to start to use a particular method
chronic (adj): difficult to cure or get rid of
critical (adj): serious and possibly dangerous
bedridden (adj): having to stay in bed all the time because you are sick or old
palliative (adj): related to a medicine or medical treatment that reduces pain without curing its cause
