Accra:Dr. Ekkapop Pienpises, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, voiced concerns about the allocation of a 4 billion baht budget from sin taxes intended for the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. He suggested that this significant amount of money could be better utilized for health-related purposes rather than being spent on training courses, conferences, events, or advertising.
According to Thai News Agency, Dr. Ekkapop shared his views on his personal Facebook page, emphasizing the potential tangible benefits of using 4 billion baht annually for health improvements. For instance, he noted that the budget could be used to procure 1,270 ambulances equipped with advanced life support each year, or to construct 80 outpatient buildings for community hospitals annually.
Additionally, the funds could be used to purchase medical equipment for 13,000 sub-district health centers, acquire 57,000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) each year, and even build one tertiary-level specialized hospital annually. Dr. Ekkapop stressed the importance of promoting health and preventing disease based on sound health promotion principles and theories, rather than merely allocating funds to various activities without a strategic plan.
He argued that the budget of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation should be integrated into the national budget to ensure it is used effectively and efficiently for the benefit of public health.