Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew attended a ministry drug prevention and suppression seminar on Sunday (Sept 17) to address the matter, reports the Bangkok Post.
Dr Opas Kankawinpong, the health permanent secretary, said during the seminar the Public Health Ministry would endorse Mr Srettha’s guideline on sending drug addicts for rehabilitation.
He said 42 state hospitals currently have treatment centres, known as mini-Thanyarak services, for drug addicts. The new government plans to expand this service to all state hospitals.
Dr Opas said Thailand has about 1.9 million drug users, with 38,000 of them, or 2%, being deemed “red patients”, or severely addicted users, and 456,000, or 24% , “yellow patients” who are moderate users, and 1.4 million, or 74%, “green patients”, who are general drug users.
“The public health minister has announced plans to improve the universal healthcare scheme, or 30-baht plus, and include improving treatment for drug addicts,” he said.
Dr Opas said the plan includes more psychiatric nurses and clinical therapists to supervise rehabilitation at mini-Thanyarak facilities nationwide.
The ministry also plans to use telemedicine for long-term care for patients trying to quit narcotics.