Strengthened health system and emergency care unit in Northern Thailand
Situation:
After the coup in February 2021 the health system in Myanmar have collapsed due to poor governance, insufficient funding and shortage of health workers. As a result most of the IDPs cross the border to Thailand to seek medical care. The establishment of the Emergency Care Unit at the Mae Tao Clinic will directly benefit IDPS from Myanmar who crossed the border and the refugees who are already in Thailand.
Objectives:
Improved emergency care system and services at the Mae Tao Clinic.
- Number of emergency cases attended, provided treatment and or referred to higher level health facilities for further management
- Number of health workers provided training and participated in continuing medical professional development through lectures and seminars
- 80% of the patients at the Mae Tao Clinic are satisfied with the quality of services received
1. Set-up an Emergency Care Unit with essential staff and equipment and supply of drugs
2. Develop the Emergency Care Unit protocol
3. Medical training for Mae Tao Clinic staff and staff of partner organisations who are working in the Thai-Myanmar border areas
4. Lectures, seminars and conferences on different medical topics
The establishment and equipping of the Emergency Care Unit, provision of medical supplies and essential drugs and the medical training provides opportunities for continuous provision of medical services. Mae Tao Clinic is able to provide timely care and quality health services not only to Myanmar refugees but including the host population. While the equipment and facilities will encounter wear and tear and supplies diminished, the knowledge and skills that have been strengthened will remain within the health workers enabling them to provide quality health care throughout their practice and beyond this project.
For the Mae Tao Clinic to be able to continue providing timely care and quality health services to the most vulnerable population, A minimal service fee of as low as 10 Baht (0.25€) is collected from patients who can afford to pay and MTC waives the charges for those patients who are not able to afford the minimal service fee. The amounts collected are used for maintenance and repair cost in the clinic.
The establishment of an Emergency Care Unit in the Mae Tao Clinic is an innovation that was borne out of need. The clinic started as a small community based clinic that caters to the needs of the burmese migrants and provides free medical services. As the number of migrants and refugees increased due to the political instability and conflict in neighbouring Myanmar, MTC have expanded to accommodate more vulnerable people needing health services. At present, MTC is now comparable to a community hospital in terms of its services and volume of patients. It has an out-patient and an in-patient ward and soon will have its Emergency Care Unit through this project.
