Medical hub plan could prove costly

Foreigners not paying bills, experts warn

Government plans to promote Thailand as an Asian medical hub could result in mounting bad debts if foreign patients refuse to pay for medical services, legal and health experts warned yesterday.

Daraporn Tirawat, a law professor at Thammasat University's law faculty, said hospitals in tourist areas such as Surat Thani's Ko Samui had several cases involving tourists from rich countries.

They convinced the hospitals to let them go by claiming their medical insurance would be responsible for the expenses, she said. The companies then refused to pay.

What happened reflects a lack of understanding of foreign health insurance policies, Ms Daraporn said.

''Bad debts will mount if the government continues to promote Thailand as the regional medical centre of Asia without considering its pros and cons, including legal aspects of the social security systems in developed countries,'' she told a Thammasat University seminar.

''The dream project'' might not be worth as much as Thai people and medical professionals could lose, she cautioned.

About two million foreigners are expected to come to Thailand by 2010 to receive medical services, spending about 80 billion baht on health care, according to Private Hospital Association estimates.

Ms Daraporn did not put an amount on what is owed to hospitals, but her contention was confirmed by the association chairwoman Prapa Wongate.

Ms Prapa said southern hospitals were owed 30 million baht by foreigners unable to pay for services during the tsunami catastrophe alone.

Several legal and health academics also criticised the government for promoting health services in free trade agreements, despite legal flaws.

Vitoon Ungpraphan, a doctor at Siriraj Hospital, said the government had not yet upgraded health laws to meet international legal standards. On details such as informed consent, Thai law differs from the legal requirement in many countries.

He predicted more lawsuits between hospitals and patients would result if health services were included in free trade pacts.

Kamchai Chongchakrabhandhu, an international trade law expert at Thammasat, suggested policymakers seek ways to promote the country as a regional medical centre for research and development, rather than health services, to improve the national health system.
Bangkok Post 1 June 2005 www.bangkokpost.com
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