Phuket Vice Governor officiated the formal opening of the centre, located at Vachira Phuket Hospital, yesterday (Feb 13), joined by Supipat Anurat, Director of the Phuket Social Development and Human Security office; Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Weerasak Lorthongkam; and Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon.
Vice Governor Norasak explained the importance of upholding Thailand’s laws designed to support individuals with disabilities, particularly the Persons with Disabilities Empowerment Act B.E. 2007.
“The act provides guidelines and aims to improve methods for promoting the well-being of individuals with disabilities, ensuring they receive fair treatment and access to essential services,” he said.
“It also specifies provisions regarding the benefits and protection of persons with disabilities to prevent unfair discrimination because of their physical condition or health. It also requires the state to promote and develop the quality of life of people with disabilities to have a good quality of life and be self-reliant in order to drive effective enforcement of laws regarding people with disabilities and people with disabilities receive the benefits as specified by law.,” he added.
“The establishment of the Comprehensive Disability Service Center at Vachira Phuket Hospital exemplifies the joint efforts of government agencies to facilitate the issuance of disability identification cards and provide a range of services encompassing healthcare, rehabilitation, assistive devices and social welfare,” Vice Governor Norsak explained.
Mr Supipat highlighted the collaborative efforts between the Department of Promotion and Development of the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities and the Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health, to establish similar service centers across government hospitals.
“This initiative aims to streamline the application process for disability identification cards and enhance accessibility to services for individuals with disabilities. Vachira Phuket Hospital has been designated as a model centre, equipped to handle the application and issuance of identification cards and provide a comprehensive range of services tailored to the needs of individuals with disabilities,” he said.
Dr Weerasak Lorthongkam, Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, noted the hospital’s commitment to providing accessible and high-quality healthcare services to all members of the community.
“Vachira Phuket Hospital is designated a ‘tertiary level hospital’ with 551 beds and more than 2,500 medical and public health personnel. There are specialist doctors in all fields, providing services with modern medical equipment using advanced technology. There are an average of approximately 2,000 patients per day, an average of 110 inpatients per day,” he said.
“Vachira Phuket Hospital operates with a focus on health services for the disabled and the elderly to have easy access to services and receive benefits as provided by the government, and formed a network to provide services to people with disabilities by providing assessment services for people with disabilities, issuance of a document certifying disability by a medical professional/certifying empirical disability, registration of identification cards for persons with disabilities and renewal of cards and provided disabled person services by providing a ‘One Stop Service’, he continued.
“From the results of the work, 7,586 people with disabilities have been registered and issued disability identification cards. It has been accepted as a model centre by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and the Ministry of Public Health signed on to open a comprehensive service center for people with disabilities at Vachira Phuket Hospital, and this model has been disseminated to medical facilities and government agencies located in central and provincial Phuket,” Dr Weerasak said.
“The establishment of the Comprehensive Disability Service Centre at Vachira Phuket Hospital marks a significant step forward in ensuring that individuals with disabilities have equitable access to essential services and support. Through collaboration between government agencies and healthcare institutions, this initiative seeks to promote inclusivity, empower individuals with disabilities, and uphold their rights and welfare within society,” Dr Weerasak concluded.