I'm in Bangkok getting an up-close look at Thailand's universal health system, which prioritizes essential, primary health care services. The remarkable result? A life expectancy of 79 years, which costs the government as little as $300 per person/year.
@GawandeUSAID The U.S healthcare system does not prioritize primary care. Family docs are overbooked and underpaid. The consequence is a shortage of PCPs. Ultimately, patients suffer due to having limited access to primary care services.
@GawandeUSAID I am pretty confident you know really well our universalistic national system, Italia.. well, it is relentlessly disappearing day by day to make room for the insurance and money based system where unlucky people have issues to get good healthcare. Let’s connect w/ @Cartabellotta
@GawandeUSAID Sharing for consideration thehill.com/policy/healthc…
@GawandeUSAID We know this with certainty: good primary care extends lives and saves money. But the US healthcare complex survives on capitalism, of course, so profit, not health, is the goal. How in the world do we change that?
@GawandeUSAID While @Harvard, Prince Mahidol Adulyadej negotiated agreement with Rockefeller Foundation to for medicine, nursing, public health education funding in Thailand. He presided over substantial upgrades to science and medical facilities in Thai universities. hsph.harvard.edu/news/centennia…
@GawandeUSAID Thailand embraces primary health care, an integrated approach that includes health promotion, community level surveillance of disease & multidisciplinary teams including doctors, nurses & community health workers. I.e. primary health care, not just primary care.
@GawandeUSAID USA needs to learn from Thailand about UHC!
@GawandeUSAID Have a good infrastructure & pay primary care doctors well - it will make a huge difference. What is happening now is that in our two countries priority is being given to insurance based, tertiary care treatments like Cancer, Transplant, Replacement etc. Primary care is ignored