Topics & Events

S-TOP 9th Working Team Meeting was held at the Health Administration Division (HAD), Office of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health in Thailand on 9 June 2020. A total of 34 people were attended from the relevant organizations such as the Ministry of Public Health (HAD, Department of Medical Services, Department of Health, and Department of Mental Health), Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, National Health Security Office, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (Health Department, Social Development Department and Ratchaphiphat Hospital), JICA staff and Japanese experts of S-TOP were participated from Japan via online conference system.

Online meeting chaired by HAD

Presentation by the expert of S-TOP

Ms. Hiroka Yoneda, S-TOP expert on rehabilitation and elderly care, reported on the project's activities for the past six months. Ms. Yoneda explained that 8 pilot sites were currently in the implementation phase of the intermediate care service plan. The results of monitoring conducted on the pilot site had been analyzed from five perspectives: 1) service delivery, 2) human resource development, 3) referral information system, 4) revenue and cost, and 5) participation of patients and families.

In service delivery, data showed that increase in patients' ADL (Activities of Daily Living) after intermediate care was seen in 5 acute care hospitals and 9 community hospitals where S-TOP activities were implemented. Regarding the participation of patients and their families, Ms. Yoneda introduced an example of Ban Na Doem Hospital in Surat Thani Province, where dedicated efforts were done. In addition, Ms. Yoneda reported the outcomes of training program in Japan which S-TOP invited government officials from Thailand to Japan to study rehabilitation hospitals and community comprehensive support centers in Hokkaido in August 2019, and in Nagano and Aichi in January-February 2020 respectively.

Community hospital in Surat Thani

Japan training in Jan-Feb. 2020

After the report from Ms. Yoneda, participants exchanged opinions on how to conduct biannual monitoring of 8 pilot sites which affected by the coronavirus outbreak since March 2020. In response to the spread of coronavirus, it was agreed among stakeholders to review the overall project activity plan by around November this year.

In the second half of the conference, Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health made a presentation on intermediate care for the elderly. They presented the achievements in 2019 as well as the activity plan for 2020-2021. In particular, S-TOP was expected to provide technical support to the upcoming pilot activities for intermediate care for the elderly planned by Department of Medical Services.

Although all the officials from Ministry of Public Health and other concerned organizations were busy with taking measures for preventing the spread of coronavirus, the working team meeting was held after the interval of four months. All the participants of the meeting reaffirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation among related organizations in order to proceed further activities of the project.

Presentation by Dept. of Medical Services

Meeting at Office of Permanent Secretary