Health activists call for retention of “clear, fair medical & medicine charges” clause in new Constitution

0
1453

BANGKOK, 19 May 2015 – A group of health activists has asked the National Reform Council to retain a clause in the draft charter that will protect patients across the country.

NRC President Thienchay Kiranant on Monday met with Police Sub-Lieutenant Treesusan Pichai, who represents a network of the public health reform monitoring, who visited the Parliament to submit a letter asking for the retention of a stipulation in the draft Constitution.

The part of the new charter that the petition would like the NRC to make sure it will not be removed is Article 295(4), which the council’s public health reform committee is reportedly planning to propose it be taken out.

The clause that has become an issue of concerns reads “The prices of medicines, the medical service fees and related charges must be controlled to ensure that they are suitable and fair for people who receive such services.”

Mr. Treesusan said that this clause, written by the Constitution Drafting Committee, is already good and any plan to remove it should be reconsidered.

Mr. Thienchay has promised to bring the issue to the attention of the committee on public health reform and the CDC to consider.